IBM has opened a new systems software development laboratory in Manchester, which will develop optimisation, security and virtualisation software with a focus on IBM Power Systems, to help clients manage workloads designed to reduce data centre costs.
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 offerings.
IBM said that the new facility currently supports local clients, and expects to support worldwide projects for international clients.
The company said that Manchester lab engineers have already developed PowerVM Lx86 for Power Systems, a technology which helps to enable clients consolidate their Linux-based applications onto IBM systems.
Situated off Deansgate in the heart of the city, the 10,000-square-foot lab provides testing which supports development for IBM systems to run a set of applications for more informed systems investment decisions. The lab is linked to a nearby external data centre which holds a range of IBM’s Power Systems and System x servers.
Rod Adkins, senior vice president for IBM Systems & Technology Group, said: IBM Power7 systems are optimised 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.
“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.
