Debunking the Myth that IBM i Costs More for Midsize Businesses: ITG Looks at the Numbers
The International Technology Group (ITG) has been taking a close
look at total cost of ownership (TCO) data for years, often packaging
up their findings in research reports that include a deep understanding of IBM i
on Power Systems. This fall, ITG has released a pair of new reports that are,
quite simply, must-reads for any IBM i-loving IT pro.
More importantly, the research compares the relative costs of
competing systems against businesses of similar sizes and types --
manufacturing, distribution, and retail companies. In "IBM i on Power Systems for Midsized Businesses: Minimizing Costs and Risks for Cloud, Analytics and Mobile Environments,"
the report compares the IBM i operating system deployed on POWER8-based systems
to two alternatives -- Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and SQL Server 2014, and
x86 Linux servers with Oracle Database 12c.
Not only does IBM i on POWER8 crush the competition in TCO when
calculated over three years, IBM i costs for hardware and software licensing
fees are significantly lower than Windows and SQL server and lower than x86
Linux server with Oracle. The numbers are amazing, but I'm willing to bet that a
good many IT pros believe IBM i is not only more expensive for midsize
businesses . . . but that some IBM i-focused pros still believe that, too.
How Much Less Expensive Is IBM i on POWER8?
In initial cost of acquisition, an IBM i installation averages 35%
less than using Windows and SQL Server . . . and 46% less than using x86 Linux
servers with Oracle. When extended out to three years, IBM i 7.2 on Power
Systems average 45% less than for use of Microsoft Windows Server 2012 and SQL
Server 2014, and 51% less than for x85 Linux servers with Oracle.
Wow.
You need to read this report and have it handy (download the .pdf)
so you can scan it again before key meetings with upper management. Better
still, download the short and sweet Executive Brief .pdf -- you never know when
it might be important to share this information.
Numbers of Servers
In Windows and x86 Linux environments, ITG explains, separate
servers are typically deployed to handle database, application, and Web serving,
in addition to test and development systems. These extra servers increase
licensing and support costs. ITG notes:
"In smaller installations, between three
and five physical x86 servers are required for workloads handled by single Power
System. In others, between 6 and 11 physical servers are required for workloads
handled by pairs of Power Systems duplexed for redundancy."
This increase in tightly integrated simplicity is more important
today than ever before, ITG says. Why? Mobile, cloud, and analytic services all
draw upon core enterprise data. If core systems suffer from quality of service
-- speed or availability -- the ripple effects rapidly extend outward through
the organization and beyond.
In fact, ITG goes into detail over costs of downtime and risk
exposure, detailing how and why it's important in today's enterprise computing
environments. As you might guess, the three year cost of downtime for IBM
i-based organizations is significantly less than the others. And by a similar
token, security and malware protection are much improved with IBM i over other
solutions.
All-in-all, "IBM i on Power Systems for Midsize Businesses: Minimizing Costs and Risks for Cloud, Analytics and Mobile Environments"
is a report you need to go download from IBM (it's free) right now. Even if you
already know or suspect the basics of what's inside the report, it's nice to see
it delivered by someone who's spent the time measuring all this through 42
midsize companies.
What about larger organizations? Check out ITG's "IBM i on Power Systems for Enterprise Businesses: Value of Resilience for Next-generation Analytics, Cloud, Mobile and Social Media."
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