Success stories

Featured success story

Business need:

The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ (BTMU), Japan’s largest bank in terms of assets, with 40 million personal bank accounts and 500,000 corporate clients, needed to satisfy customer demand for access to financial services anytime, anywhere, through any device, and it sought to launch these new services using only its existing IT assets.

Solution:

As a platform for SOA development, the bank adopted IBM WebSphere Message Broker, with its MQ-based, high-throughput messaging backbone which has a successful track record in the financial sector. The SOA solution employed the IBM zEnterprise 196 as its platform, divided by logical partitioning, with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as the operating system.

Benefits:

With the SOA platform leveraging WebSphere Message Broker the bank has accelerated its ability to build services in response to business issues and has a service re-utilization rate increase of 18 percent.
“The SOA platform with WebSphere Message Broker was released initially to cover three systems and nine services. In two-and-a-half years, use of the platform has been expanded to 23 systems and over 150 services," says Mr Tetsuya Tagami, Systems Infrastructure No.1, Systems Division, Manager.

See how Linux on System z helps you do more with less.

Learn from success stories and recommendations from IBM clients how they have put Linux on System z (zEnterprise, z10, z9, zSeries) to work for them to lower cost and reduce energy consumption.

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Agriculture

Linux quickly emerged as the front runner in NWK’s search for a new operating system, its flexibility giving the company considerable scope for embracing a more open infrastructure model.

 

Banking / Financial Services

The SOA solution employed the IBM zEnterprise 196 mainframe as its platform, divided by logical partitioning, with SUSE Linux Enterprise Server as the operating system. An MQ-based, high throughput messaging backbone was then built using IBM WebSphere Message Broker. Along with the rapid increase in services, BTMU has seen growth in the reuse of existing services, with 18 percent of services currently being reused.


Banco Pastor host DB2 and SAP ERP HCM on just two dedicated IBM System z10 servers. The z10 servers also host IBM Lotus Domino and IBM Lotus Notes services in additional logical partitions.


Migration Path: From distributed Intel and SUN SPARC servers to Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5 running under z/VM on IBM z9 and z10 mainframes. Recovered 30 percent of datacenter floor space. Reduced power consumption by 38 percent. 20 percent return on investment (ROI) over the life of the platform. Simplified, more efficient deployment.


Bankia chose to run the IBM InfoSphere software on Linux on System z, which combines the open standards of Linux with the power and resilience of the IBM System z mainframe. The virtualized Linux on System z solution plays a crucial role in helping Bankia to roll out new IT systems at each of its banks rapidly, and to adhere to a strict deployment deadline.


EFiS EDI Finance Service AG implemented an IBM System z Solution Edition for Enterprise Linux based on a new IBM zEnterprise 114 server. The improved processor utilization levels and reduced investment in costly software licence fees deliver instant cost savings. It also uses IBM WebSphere software to manage its application environment.


Besides focusing on system uptime and business continuity, Equens decided to consolidate the different platforms in its European data centers. This resulted in a centralized mainframe IT staff in Italy.


Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation successfully implemented the Finacle™ core banking solution from Infosys on Linux on IBM System z with DB2 for z/OS to transform its business and leverage new growth opportunities in an increasingly competitive consumer banking market.


SDV runs a number of very large databases within the virtualized Linux environments. The company also relies on SUSE Linux Enterprise Server to support online banking services for the Sparda Banking Group's 4.2 million customers.


  • Svenska Handelsbanken puts IBM System z at the heart of operations

By running Linux, Java and database workload alongside core banking systems on an IBM System z10, Handelsbanken benefits from a single easy-to-manage platform with rapid disaster recovery capabilities.


Vietin Bank selected an IBM System z to run a new operational risk management solution, which will enable the bank to deliver premium services to its customers.

Chemicals & Petroleum

Gruppo API consolidated numerous distributed servers running SAP and other business-critical systems to SUSE Linux Enterprise Server for System z running on an IBM z10 Enterprise Class mainframe.

Computer services

Running multiple Linux environments on a single Enterprise Linux Server can potentially reduce TCO by up to 80 percent, compared to a traditional distributed x86 environment, and IBM Capacity Backup Upgrade enables full, rapid disaster recovery while keeping operational costs low.


BG-Phoenics run z/OS and Linux on the z196 servers, IBM AIX on Power Systems blade servers, and both Linux and Microsoft Windows on Intel-architecture blades in the same zBX. BG-Phoenics runs Lotus Domino servers for email and collaboration on Linux, hosted on z/VM on the z196 servers. Email is still highly important; using Linux makes it cost‑effective to run this service on the ultra-reliable z196 hardware with the efficiencies of virtualization on z.


The ability to run multiple virtual servers side-by-side on a single mainframe processor ensures low software costs for the solution, enabling Business Connexion to offer a powerful solution at a highly competitive price.


The IBM Enterprise Linux Server (ELS) has the potential to provide the best of both worlds for our clients – combining the traditional reliability, availability and serviceability of System z with the openness and flexibility of Linux. Consolidating on the ELS platform gives us and our clients a way to cut costs while increasing agility and contributing significantly to Green IT objectives.” - Paul Casey, Datacentre Platforms Practice Leader at Computacenter.


"With the availability of the IBM Integrated Faculty for Linux (IFL) processors, we had for the first time the opportunity to run Lotus Domino on SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server for IBM System z—and when we did the calculations, this turned out to be a very cost-effective option," said Müller-Ahlheim, Head of Infrastructure Technology and Databases at GaVI.


Total cost of ownership has been reduced by 30 per cent with the help of zIIP and IFL technology. System z and System Storage technologies help gkd-el to maintain a flexible yet easy-to-manage infrastructure, provision new Linux on System z application servers within minutes, and balance workload efficiently.


The IBM Cognos 8 BI for Linux solution on System z enables a streamlined approach for the IBM sales force of 30,000+ to access critical business information from a single Web portal, when and where they need it. The solution scales well, is secure, provides significant cost savings and has increased the productivity of its users within IBM FMS.


Blue Insight uses a suite of IBM Business Analytics - Cognos, SPSS - and Information Management software running on the IBM System z platform, which delivers the highest possible levels of performance, availability, security and scalability.


IBM sales management systems for IBM’s midmarket space reduce support and infrastructure costs via private cloud deployment. The new system provides reports with key metrics to managers so they can manage business globally.


IBM SCAN developed a WebSphere-based application that leverages IBM’s centralized business intelligence service, which is based on Cognos BI. The new environment reduces time required for managers of training programs to produce reports for skill gap analysis, and enables the company to measure increases in skills.


IBM SDMS developed an application that leverages Cognos BI to identify deals needing management attention, and enables managers to drill down to opportunity-level detail.


IBM global treasury operations centralized its operations on a single platform to improve analytics and increase control and efficiency. The platform includes a data warehouse and facilitates global visibility into and reporting on global treasury operations. The system serves as a unified gateway for all banking communication via SWIFT as well.



A jointed development team developed the IBM entry cloud configuration for SAP solutions on zEnterprise. The development team works closely with the joint quality assurance team at SAP, and for example with the IBM and SAP International Competence Center in Walldorf, Germany, the IBM Silicon Valley Lab on the DB2 database, the z/OS developers in Poughkeepsie, New York, and the teams working on Linux on System z at the IBM Lab Boeblingen, Germany.



Earlier this year, Mainframe Executive had an opportunity to talk with Per Johansson, senior manager of Mainframe Global Infrastructure & Operations. Johansson leads the mainframe operations of Volvo Information Technology (Volvo IT).

Education

Marist shares how they chose to implement cloud on System z and the business impact that the project has had.


"The emphasis is on business intelligence, which requires high-performance infrastructure such as Linux on System z. A typical example would be finance students accessing the SAP Controlling and Profitability Analysis application." - Christine Davis, Executive in Residence at Walton College.



"The IBM System z Solution Edition for Cloud Computing eliminates the trouble and expense of buying and managing new infrastructure, making the development of small-scale solutions much more viable." - Professor Visaggio, full professor of Software Engineering at the University of Bari

Energy & Utilities

Embasa hosted SAP ERP applications for business management on Linux partitions on an IBM System z196, with their databases on IBM DB2 for z/OS.


Government

Honolulu deployed a custom cloud using an Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) engine running Linux on the city’s IBM System z10 Enterprise Class server. The IBM solution reduced application deployment time from one week to only hours, lowered licensing costs for one database by 68 percent and enabled creation of a new property tax appraisal system and increased tax revenue by USD$1.4 million in just three months. Honolulu deployed a custom cloud using an Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) engine running Linux on the city’s IBM System z10 Enterprise Class server.

Part I: Video (00:02:35)

Part II: Video (00:03:20)

John R. Palmer, section head of Enterprise Hosting, Directorate of Information Management Technologies, describes how DND's creativity resulted in cost-effective 'whole-of-government' enterprise hosting.


This Independent Assessment case study looks at how a visionary, dedicated mainframe team turned an end-of-life mainframe situation around and elevated the mainframe in the eyes of the DND to true hybrid enterprise hosting.


Dundee upgraded its mainframe environment with two powerful IBM System z10 servers, and introduced the IBM XIV Storage System to replace a mixed storage environment. The new infrastructure runs a range of Linux applications and Oracle databases – supporting key systems such as social services 24x7.

“We wanted a single platform capable of supporting all of the Linux environments used by our developers." - Kumar Sivakumaran, Advanced Middleware Engineer at Eurocontrol


“We realized that Linux on System z was an extremely cost-effective platform for certain types of applications, especially if they need the rock-solid reliability and availability that the mainframe can offer,” comments Jose Eskert, Senior System Programmer at Miami-Dade County.


Searched for a replacement for proprietary software for its IBM mainframe servers that could provide greater flexibility, manageability, and utilization opportunities. Migration Path: HP–UX to Red Hat Enterprise Linux


“We estimate employee productivity has increased by 50 percent since the implementation of the IBM solution,” says Laila Binti Abdul Majid, Chief Assistant Director. “With the SAL (Statistics and Data Extraction Request Management System) application performing to its full potential, crucial information is available 24/7, just a few mouse clicks away. User feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.”

Healthcare

IBM Business Partner Haddon Hill Group automates software implementation with IBM software. The virtual environment is hosted by an IBM System z10 Enterprise Class mainframe running the Linux operating system for maximum stability, efficiency and utilization of server resources.

Working with IBM and SAP, BCBSM consolidated 40 HP Intel-architecture servers to a single IBM System z server with IBM Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL) engines.


IBM worked with UNC to create a robust, closely governed data warehouse solution that unifies multiple data stores, making it possible to quickly and easily access data and transform it into useful information.

Industrial Products

Baldor consolidated to SAP Business Suite applications, hosted on 70 virtual machines running SUSE Linux on an IBM z10 Enterprise Class server, and migrated data to the IBM System Storage DS8100 platform.


“Working with IBM, we conducted a detailed cost-benefit analysis to compare a Linux on System z solution to alternatives such as IBM Power servers or x86-architecture machines,” says Aribert Starnell, Division Manager, Production Computer Center at Endress+Hauser InfoServe. “We were very encouraged by the results. … Most importantly, we wanted to have all critical systems in the same environment to make disaster recovery simpler, faster and more reliable.”


Colacem uses IBM's latest z10 EC architecture running zVM (virtual machine) as a host operating environment that controls underlying Linux instances. SAP's enterprise suite of ERP applications (accounting, financials, etc.) have been deployed to run-the-company and its associated businesses.

Insurance

In short, the driver for Allianz was to see how it could rationalise the infrastructure as much as possible, ideally onto one box. It did so through the deployment of a new mainframe and zLinux. A move which Coles says was pretty seamless for customers but one that provided the company with "significant benefits".


Dongbu will work to streamline operations and build an integrated IT infrastructure based on IBM technology. Four IBM System z10 servers will serve as the backbone of the system, running on z/OS and Linux operating systems as well as IBM DB2 and WebSphere Application Server.


“Our cost-benefit analysis, which included hardware, software and operational costs, showed that a distributed architecture based on x86 cores would be significantly more expensive than an IFL engine – which shows that it’s definitely worth investigating the Enterprise Linux Server option even for relatively small environments.” - Tim Bennett, Project Manager, Marsh


Nationwide deployed two IBM System z™ mainframes running Linux®. The solution is a cornerstone of Nationwide's strategy of moving all new development to virtualization and J2EE as a means of "future-proofing" its IT environment. US$15 million cost savings anticipated over three years - 85-90 percent server utilization - 80 percent reduction in environmental costs - Web hosting costs lowered by 50 percent.


Moving to a virtualized environment has resulted in improved ease of management for IT administrators. By consolidating applications that had been running on physical x86 servers throughout its business units to virtual servers on the central System z platform, IT staff can now efficiently manage the applications from a single point of control.

   

Retail

AutoData Norge AS runs SUSE® Linux Enterprise Server for System z alongside z/VSE on an IBM zEnterprise 114. The SUSE operating system provides a lower-cost and more flexible platform for creating new web-based applications, helping AutoData to expand its offerings in an efficient manner.



The z196 was optimized from the start to handle diverse workloads beyond conventional z/OS workloads. It could handle Linux, Java, WebSphere, Cognos, and any combination of workloads, including image and video serving.


“Continous availability and manageability are the design principles of our IT architecture. We're proud of our ability to failover without data loss in a very short period of time. The improved availability and disaster recovery capabilities delivered by running the SAP applications on Linux for System z provide an extra layer of insurance against potentially damaging and expensive outages.” - Clifford W. Gum, SAP Technical Architect, The Home Depot

Travel and transportation

Marriott installed its first zEnterprise machine in December of 2010, but has already seen the advantages of the new platform. “We have seen absolutely no cost increases for the Linux IFLs that we run on zEnterprise, yet we’ve seen a 40 percent increase in our capacity.” - Misha Kravchenko, Vice President, Global Enterprise Mainframe Systems for Marriott International.

Wholesale Distribution & Services

Fratelli Carli, a leading producer of premium olive oil and other consumer products, choose the IBM System z10 because of its ability to integrate modern Linux systems with fast VSE 'Legacy' applications in an extremely reliable and highly secure environment.

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