IBM Enhances iSeries With New Solutions Supported by Software Vendors

Regional and Co-Marketing Programs Deliver Hundreds of New Linux and WebSphere Applications Solutions to iSeries Customers

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Monday, December 22, 2003; 12:00 AM

SOMERS, NY -- Dec 22, 2003 -- Adding to its arsenal of solutions running on the IBM eServer iSeries, IBM today announced that more than 300 new Linux and WebSphere solutions have been successfully ported to the iSeries platform. The addition of the solutions over the last year is in response to demand from server customers around the world.

IBM is also announcing the newest Linux-based solution on the iSeries server from S2 Systems, a global provider of transaction processing, authorization and integrated solutions for the banking, financial, retail and telecommunications sectors.

As a result of customer and partner demand, the new solutions emerged from an IBM multi-pronged program with Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) to deliver solutions to mid-sized businesses to help modernize their IT environment and leverage the sizable investments that have been made in the iSeries platform. IBM increased its work with regional ISVs to better serve customers in their local markets and introduced aggressive co-marketing programs to introduce solutions that meet specific customer needs.

The result has been successful with new customers introduced to the iSeries server including GH Young International, a custom brokerage house, using the iSeries 820 as its Linux server running Red Hat to manage imaging applications, firewall, file-and-print serving and Web serving applications.

"Linux on the iSeries server is a compelling alternative to the complexity of managing separate Intel-based servers," said Nigel Fortlage, vice president of IT, GHY International. "We have an integrated, open standards-based architecture that is enabling GHY to boost productivity, serve our customers better, while saving money on our IT expenditures."

"The number of ISVs bringing new solutions to the iSeries server is driven by customer demand, as more customers are finding ways to leverage the ease of use, inherent security, and flexibility of the system," said Cecelia Marrese, vice president of marketing, IBM eServer iSeries. "By working closely with ISVs, IBM is bringing solutions that specifically address the needs of mid-sized businesses."

S2 Systems Provides Linux on iSeries Server for Financial Industry

S2 Systems' OpeN/2® support for Linux on the iSeries server provides customers with the ability to consolidate multiple workloads into an integrated Linux environment in order to extend OS/400 applications and related skill sets to an increasingly "on demand" world. With iSeries features such as capacity on demand, customers using an S2 and iSeries solution can invest in additional processing power only when needed.

"S2 Systems and IBM offer a compelling value proposition to meet new business requirements, reduce costs and improve profitability with fewer resources," said Stephen Clark, president and CEO of S2 Systems. "Our proven technologies are already in production and driving massively scalable transaction processing environments at some of the world's largest organizations. OpeN/2 for Linux on iSeries allows institutions to mitigate risk by leveraging their existing investments in midrange platforms and applications while utilizing a totally flexible enterprise payment solution that can help lower the cost of ownership."

About IBM
Information on IBM eServer is available at http://www.ibm.com/eserver. IBM news releases and fact sheets are available at http://www.ibm.com/press. The IBM eServer brand consists of the established IBM e-business logo with the following descriptive term "server" following it. The following are either trademarks or registered of International Business Machines Corporation in the United States or other countries or both: IBM, the IBM e-business logo, iSeries, OS/400, WebSphere. All others are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Regional and Co-Marketing Programs Deliver Hundreds of New Linux and WebSphere Applications Solutions to iSeries Customers