IBM Ships New Linux Ready eServer Systems

IBM POWER4 eServer System Costs 44 Percent Less Than Itanium 2 System From HP

ARMONK, NY - 04 Dec 2002: IBM today announced it is shipping Linux ready IBM eServer(TM) pSeries(TM) systems, lowering the cost for customers deploying the Linux® operating system on 64-bit processor technology. Equipped with breakthrough POWER4(TM) processors, the new IBM eServer system costs substantially less than a comparably configured Itanium ® 2 based system from Hewlett-Packard.

The eServer p630 running Linux with a POWER4 microprocessor is available for $16,827, which is 44 percent less expensive than the cost of $29,928 for a similarly configured HP rx5670 server with an Itanium 2 microprocessor running Linux.[3]

IBM's POWER family of microprocessors is among the most widely used in the industry and can be found in Nintendo game consoles, Apple computers and some of the world's most powerful supercomputers.

"The new eServer p630 running Linux offers customers rock-solid, proven technology at a fraction of the cost of competitive systems," said Adalio Sanchez, general manager of IBM eServer pSeries. "Customers now have a choice of Linux or AIX solutions in a flexible, scalable eServer environment."

Through its Linux Technology Center, IBM contributes key operating system features to the Linux community that can help improve flexibility, performance, scalability and reliability and bring Linux further into the enterprise. These open source features for use in Linux exploit eServer pSeries systems management, clustering, Internet services and security. The eServer p630 enables companies to take advantage of the wealth of applications available for Linux or AIX® while leveraging the considerable performance and scalability of an IBM eServer pSeries environment.

IBM already offers customers the choice of running Linux or AIX 5L operating system simultaneously on many pSeries systems through its unique partitioning capability and self-managing features. IBM plans to offer its leading middleware for an on demand environment including WebSphere, DB2 and Tivoli management software for Linux on the new Linux ready eServer pSeries.[4] IBM plans to make early versions of this software available at no charge for developers with free technical support via IBM's Developerworks' popular "Speed start your Linux application" program website at www.ibm.com/developerworks/speed.

IBM is dedicated to Linux, the world's fastest growing operating system, and AIX, one of the fastest growing enterprise operating system with sophisticated functions including dynamic partitioning. IBM's support for Linux on IBM eServer pSeries systems is complementary to AIX and represents an unprecedented level of choice and integration for customers.

The Linux ready eServer p630 Express Configuration is available with one, two or four POWER4 processors and up to eight GB of memory, in a rack or tower configuration.

The Linux ready eServer p630 Express Configuration is now shipping in volume and starts at $15,577. The prices for Linux ready eServer p630 Express Configurations do not include an operating system.

About IBM
IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com.

IBM, the e-business logo, eServer, pSeries, AIX 5L, DB2, POWER4, PowerPC, Tivoli and WebSphere are trademarks of IBM Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Intel and Itanium are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. All other company/product names and service marks may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries licensed exclusively through The Open Group.

1. Linux operating system is separately orderable for SuSE Linux.

2. IBM anticipates that one or more Linux distributors will support 64-bit Linux with partitioning in the first half of 2003.

3. One-way IBM eServer p630 versus 1-way HP rx5670. Both systems with 2GB of memory, two 36GB disks, Ethernet, and Linux operating system. Hardware management console prices not included in either system. All price information based on U.S. list prices as of December 2, 2002. Reseller prices may vary. HP list prices from HP Enterprise Business Center, www.e-solutions.hp.com, as of December 2, 2002. Pricing for SuSE Linux Enterprise Server v7 for one-way IA-64 system is $1,000 and for one-way pSeries system is $1,250. Linux pricing from http://www.suse.com/us/business/products/sles/sles7/sles_iSeries_pSeries/price_list.pdf as of December 2, 2002.

4. All statements regarding IBM's future direction and intent are subject to change or withdrawal without notice and represent goals and objectives only.