Manchester, U.K. - 17 mai 2010: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced the official opening of a new systems software development laboratory in Manchester. With a focus on IBM’s Power systems, the engineers in the lab develop optimization, security, and virtualisation software for enabling clients to manage emerging workloads and reduce data center costs.

Today’s announcement is the latest in a series of major investments in IBM’s high-end systems in 2010. The Manchester system software development laboratory follows similar investments in IBM’s manufacturing and development capabilities this year in Guadalajara, Mexico and Poughkeepskie, New York, in support of systems and storage solutions.

“IBM Power7 systems are optimized and integrated from the chip to hardware and software for workloads requiring the management of enormous data-driven transactions and analyzing that data in real time,” said Rod Adkins, Senior Vice President for IBM Systems & Technology Group. “Power7 systems provide not just raw speed, but the intelligent performance needed for smart electrical grids, analytics in financial markets and other emerging business models made possible in today’s massively interconnected world.  The deep expertise at our new Manchester Lab is vital to the success of Power7 systems and a strong resource for our client base here.”

The Manchester Lab engineers have already developed IBM® PowerVM Lx86 for IBM Power Systems, a technology that enables clients to consolidate their Linux-based applications onto IBM systems. Additional sample projects showcasing IBM innovation for future client adoption involve work to boost system optimization.  For example, local engineers are creating new “intelligent system tuning” capabilities that automatically decide how to parse resources like memory or compute power to execute different workloads.  The work will minimize system expertise requirements and allow clients to re-direct scarce IT resources toward revenue-generating projects.

In addition to IBM systems and processor architecture knowledge, the lab’s engineering expertise includes in-depth system software knowledge and key performance optimisation skills across the whole software and hardware stack.  This allows the local team to deliver new technologies for IBM systems and advise clients on workload consolidation and optimisation.  Situated off Deansgate in the heart of the city, the 10,000-square-foot lab also provides testing, which supports development for IBM systems to run a full set of applications for more informed systems investment decisions. The lab is linked to a nearby external data centre, which holds a wide range of IBM Power Systems and IBM System x servers. This enables the engineers to harness exceptional compute power and develop software on the latest hardware technology.

IBM's POWER7 systems, which build on the company's 12-point revenue share gains since 2004 in the $16 billion UNIX market[1], can manage millions of transactions in real time and analyze the associated volumes of data typical of emerging applications across burgeoning areas like mobile telecommunications.  Power architecture technology also offers the broadest, most diverse market penetration of any microprocessor in the industry today, from digital entertainment to supercomputers.

The IBM Lab has its origins in Transitive, a spinout company from University of Manchester, acquired by IBM in 2009 and many of the Engineers are former graduates of the University. The acquisition formed part of IBM's ongoing strategy to help clients optimise the efficiency and productivity of their computing infrastructure and improve the utilisation of the servers that run them. With this translation technology, along with existing migration capabilities, IBM systems give businesses a faster, easier path for server consolidation to reduce operational expenses, floor space and energy costs.

“The University of Manchester is particularly proud of how Transitive is a very successful spinout of the university. We are delighted to see that IBM recognises the excellent local expertise by adopting the team as an IBM systems software development laboratory in Manchester,” said Dr. Hugh Aldridge, Director of Business Relations, The University of Manchester. “This development will strengthen the already strong partnership between the University and IBM; a relationship that has delivered significant value to both partners in multiple areas from the education of students through to collaborative research programmes.  As a world-class university in a major city with a history of innovation and industry, the University of Manchester is committed to fostering collaborating corporate relationships in our efforts to propel Manchester as a major node of the knowledge economy. The creation of this new lab demonstrates the value of this approach.”

For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com.  For details on IBM Power Systems, visit www.ibm.com/power.