The IBM Power E1080 server is launching at a critical time for IT . As organisations around the world continue to adapt to unpredictable changes in consumer behaviours and needs , they need a platform that can deliver their applications and insights securely where and when they need them . The IBM Institute of Business Value ’ s 2021 CEO Study , found that , of the 3,000 CEOs surveyed , 56 % emphasised the need to enhance operational agility and flexibility when asked what they ’ ll most aggressively pursue over the next two to three years .

Many see the answer to this need in a hybrid cloud computing model , which combines on-premises resources with cloud-based infrastructure and can offer up to 2.5x greater value than a public cloud-only approach . However , not all hybrid cloud models are designed equally .

“ Organisations in the Middle East and Africa are recognising that in order to be competitive in today ’ s marketplace , they need to be able to move with speed and flexibility to react to changes in their customers ’ needs in real time , while continuing to drive innovation ,” said Idriss Janati , Director , Servers and Storage Solutions in IBM Middle East and Africa . “ The answer to this challenge is the IBM Power E1080 server that offers a frictionless , secure hybrid cloud platform with the ability to scale on demand across the entire infrastructure while allowing businesses to deploy containers to modernise the applications .”

The new IBM E1080 was designed to introduce several key features , including :

• Enhancements for hybrid cloud like planned industry-first , by the minute metering of Red Hat software including Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux , 4.1x greater OpenShift containerised throughput per core vs x86-based servers , and architectural consistency and cloud-like flexibility across the entire hybrid cloud environment to drive agility and improve costs without application refactoring .

• New hardware-driven performance improvements that deliver up

to 50 % more performance and scalability than its predecessor , the IBM Power E980 , while also reducing energy use and carbon footprint of the E980 , allowing customers to do more with less . The E1080 also features four matrix math accelerators per core , enabling 5x faster inference performance as compared to the E980 .

• New security tools designed for hybrid cloud environments including transparent memory encryption , so there is no additional management setup , 4x the encryption engines per core , allowing for 2.5x faster AES encryption as compared to the IBM Power E980 , and security software for every level of the system stack .

• A robust ecosystem of ISVs , business partners and support to broaden the capabilities of the IBM Power E1080 and how customers can build their hybrid cloud environment , including record-setting performance for SAP applications in an 8-socket systemii . IBM is also launching a new tiered Power Expert Care service to help clients as they protect their systems against the latest cybersecurity threats while also providing hardware and software coherence and higher systems availability .

“ When we were designing the E1080 , we had to be cognisant of how the pandemic was changing not only consumer behaviour , but also our customer ’ s behaviour and needs from their IT infrastructure ,” said Dylan Boday , VP of Product Management for AI and Hybrid Cloud .

“ The E1080 is IBM ’ s first system designed from the silicon up for hybrid cloud environments , a system tailor-built to serve as the foundation for our vision of a dynamic and secure , frictionless hybrid cloud experience .” ◊

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