Pulse 2011: IBM takes aim at competitors

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Business and IT decision makers need to let the numbers and facts do the talking when deciding what to buy, rather than getting caught up in vendor hype.

And that includes ignoring IBM’s rivals, according to the company’s president of software, Steve Mills.

At a far from veiled swipe at competitors, Mills used the Pulse 2011 event in Las Vegas to reiterate why the company thinks businesses should embrace its technology – such as the zEnterprise mainframe – over alternative solutions.

“Of course that’s what HP is saying. Of course that’s what Dell, Oracle/Sun are saying. It doesn’t mean you have to listen to it. People say stupid crap every day,” he said.

“You need to decide who to listen to… You need to get past the religious debates, past the notions and assertions to what the cost is to your business.”

When comparing Intel-based servers to a zEnterprise system, Mills said the former was comprised of 16 switches and 340 cables, compared with just one switch and 10 cables for its own solution.

On a similar note, he claimed IBM’s offering was made up of just 21 total network components, compared with the 600-plus elements required in an Intel-based solution.

“zEnterprise is the lowest cost environment,” Mills added, quoting a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) of 72 per cent.

Mills then turned his attention to smarter computing – a key theme of this year’s Pulse conference, quoting cost savings of $80 million and $15 million over a three year period for UPMC and Nationwide Insurance respectively.

“Smart computing is about doing more with less. It’s about proactive thinking and breaking through a lot of the silliness that has been going on in the IT industry for decades,” he said.

“You’re not going to get there without delay with inconsistencies because of sprawl as well as ineffective use of IT.”

He concluded by saying: “Let’s ground it in fact, ground it in real numbers to make this planet smarter and more effective.”

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