Are the high cost of your IT and database environment driving you to think about data center consolidation and centralization? Have you started to take a hard look at the total cost of ownership and the total value of ownership for your enterprise computing? If you're exploring consolidation and virtualization, have you thought about a mainframe lately? If the answer is "no", you should think again!

The truth is, that IBM System z hardware running SUSE Linux Enterprise Server:

  • is celebrated throughout the IT world for its ability to manage mission-critical workloads, protect the integrity of sensitive data, preserve business continuity, and run for years without interruption or planned downtime for maintenance
  • on IBM z/VM virtualization technology is one of the very few virtualization solutions certified for and supported by Oracle

The combination of Linux and IBM System z brings you much more flexibility and many additional advantages, and can result in:

  • Much more efficient operation than on x86-based platforms, with very high virtual machine consolidation ratios, and requiring far fewer administrators
  • Dramatically reduced software license costs compared to an x86- or UNIX- based solution
  • Possibly saving 50% or more not only in software license and administrative cost, but also for power, cooling, space—versus an x86-based solution

"We calculated that the production environment equates to about 36 Intel-based servers. Running in a distributed environment would have pushed the Oracle licensing costs way beyond the point where we could offer a competitively based solution to our clients. With the IFL Oracle is priced as running on one CPU, and you can run as many virtual machines as you want with that one SUSE subscription. That means that cost is a very manageable component as we grow."

Frans Labuschagne
Senior Manager for Open Systems Support Services at Business Connexion

"Our two mainframes host 100 virtual servers, replacing at least 50 under-utilized x86 machines and all the associated power and cooling requirements. As well as giving us a smaller and more efficient infrastructure, this ultimately means that we're making better use of taxpayer money."

Tim Simpson
IT Support Manager, Dundee City Council