IBM has been selected by Primerica, an independent financial services marketing company in North America, to run its business applications.
The new IBM zEnterprise 196, which runs both Linux and the z operating system, helps reduce the time it takes Primerica agents to open insurance and other financial accounts by enabling smart phones to upload client records directly to the mainframe server, said IBM.
In addition, the zEnterprise 196 manages data on agents, commission statements, clients, life insurance policies and financial accounts.
Primerica also used zEnterprise 196 to upgrade an existing z9 mainframe which includes a range of microprocessors dedicated to run zOS and specialty microprocessors such as the System z Integrated Information Processor (zIIPs) for processing database workloads and the Integrated Facility for Linux (IFLs) for processing Linux workloads, said the company.
IBM Power and z Systems general manager Tom Rosamilia said in the past six months, mainframe sales grew at their fastest rate in six years, led by the introduction of the zEnterprise system.
"Clients like Primerica are taking advantage of this bold move the zEnterprise offers to fundamentally change how data centres are managed. The z196 is the fastest enterprise server in the world and represents a giant leap forward in performance," Rosamilia said.
