IBM's first system designed from silicon up is 2.5x faster than x86 servers

IBM has unveiled a new generation of IBM Power servers for frictionless and scalable hybrid cloud.

The new IBM Power E1080 server offers 2.5x per core performance vs x86-based servers and sets a new world record SAP benchmark for 8-socket systems.

The E1080 is the first in the latest family of servers based on the new IBM Power10 processor, specifically designed for hybrid cloud environments. IBM says the Power10-equipped E1080 server is engineered to be one of the most secure server platforms and is designed to help clients operate a secured, frictionless hybrid cloud experience across their entire IT infrastructure.

According to IBM, the Power E1080 server is launching at a critical time for IT. The company says that as organisations worldwide continue to adapt to unpredictable changes in consumer behaviours and needs, they need a platform that can securely deliver their applications and insights where and when they need them. The IBM Institute of Business Value's 2021 CEO Study found that, of the 3,000 CEOs surveyed, 56% emphasised the need to enhance operational agility and flexibility when asked what they'd most aggressively pursue over the next two to three years.

"When we were designing the E1080, we had to be cognisant of how the pandemic was changing not only consumer behaviour but also our customer's behaviour and needs from their IT infrastructure," says IBM VP of product management for AI and hybrid cloud, Dylan Boday.

"The E1080 is IBM's first system designed from the silicon up for hybrid cloud environments, a system tailor-built to serve as the foundation for our vision of a dynamic and secure, frictionless hybrid cloud experience."

The new IBM E1080 introduces several key features, including:

• Enhancements for a hybrid cloud-like industry-first. With by-the-minute metering of Red Hat software, including Red Hat OpenShift and Red Hat Enterprise Linux, 4.1x greater OpenShift containerised throughput per core vs x86-based servers, architectural consistency and cloud-like flexibility across the entire hybrid cloud environment. 
• New hardware-driven performance improvements. These deliver up to 50% more performance and scalability than its predecessor, the IBM Power E980, reducing energy use and the carbon footprint of the E980. The E1080 also features four matrix maths accelerators per core, enabling 5x faster inference performance than the E980.
• New security tools for hybrid cloud environments. Including transparent memory encryption, so there is no additional management setup, 4x the encryption engines per core, allowing for 2.5x faster AES encryption compared to the IBM Power E980, and security software for every level of the system stack. 
• An ecosystem of ISVs, business partners, and support. Broadening the capabilities of the IBM Power E1080 and how customers can build their hybrid cloud environment, including record-setting performance for SAP applications in an 8-socket system. 

IBM is also launching a new tiered Power Expert Care service to help clients protect their systems against the latest cybersecurity threats.