IBM Introduces Power11: Purpose-Built Infrastructure for the AI Era
A cornerstone of IBM’s AI strategy is building the infrastructure to support it. This month, IBM introduced IBM Power11, the latest generation of IBM Power® servers, built for the era of AI, automation, and hybrid cloud. With major enhancements to processor performance, system architecture, and virtualization software, Power11 delivers the uptime, scalability, and AI-ready infrastructure businesses need to stay resilient and competitive.
Power11 offers up to 55% better core performance compared to Power9 and up to 45% more capacity in entry and mid-range systems over Power10. These performance gains, paired with built-in automation and AI acceleration, enable organizations to streamline processes, modernize applications, and improve operational efficiency.
“IBM Power11 changes the game for enterprise computing,” said Tom McPherson, GM of Power Systems at IBM. “Clients can accelerate into the AI era with innovations tailored to their most pressing business needs. We are taking advantage of the full IBM stack to deliver hybrid cloud, AI, and automation capabilities while building on our decades-long reputation as a trustworthy hybrid infrastructure for essential workloads.”
What customers can expect with Power11:
- Zero planned downtime for maintenance: Through advanced technologies like autonomous patching, live updates and rolling upgrades, IT professionals are free to focus on higher value work and innovation, saving up to 40% of their time.
- Less than one minute ransomware threat detection: Paired with the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, IBM Power Cyber Vault protects systems from “harvest-now, decrypt-later” and firmware integrity attacks.
- Seamless AI integration to transform business processes: Power11 delivers AI-ready infrastructure through the new IBM Spyre Accelerator chip, combined with Red Hat OpenShift AI and IBM watsonx Code Assistant.
- Efficient IT that saves time and money: With automated data collection, IT staff can save up to eight hours of error resolution. Additionally, Power11’s Energy Efficient Mode offers twice the performance per watt compared to x86 servers.
Early Customer Feedback
“With just 20 minutes and watsonx Code Assistant for i on Power, I was able to investigate a report, trace the field logic, understand the calculation, and document the issue,” said Jasmine Kaczmarek, VP of Technology at MR Williams. “What had taken a senior developer six hours the day before, I was able to accomplish 18 times faster. That kind of productivity gain is exactly what Power11 is designed for.”
“With the new IBM Power11 automation capabilities, we are very interested in faster and more frequent maintenance updates with no planned downtime,” said William Allarey, Sr. IT Manager at GuideWell. “In addition, the native AI capabilities and significant system performance gains will allow our company to leverage AI for a clearer and faster claims experience.”
“Temenos’ collaboration with IBM has already proven the value of running mission-critical workloads on IBM Power,” said William Moroney, Chief Revenue Officer at Temenos. “With the launch of Power11, that potential grows even further by bringing an AI-ready infrastructure, zero-downtime resilience, and even greater performance to the financial services industry. We look forward to our continued partnership to help clients modernize their core banking on this built for hybrid cloud platform.”
Availability
IBM Power11 will be generally available on July 25, 2025, across entry, mid-range, and high-end server configurations. IBM Power Virtual Server, certified for RISE with SAP, will also be available in IBM Cloud. The IBM Spyre Accelerator is expected later in Q4 2025.
Source: IBM
SHARE Cleveland Technical Agenda
If you haven’t already done so, mark your calendars and get excited for the enterprise IT event of the summer: SHARE Cleveland, taking place Aug. 17-21, 2025, at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. The Technical Agenda is now available, so you can plan ahead and get the most out of the week.
SHARE offers the best in user-focused education – whether you want to network with peers or vendors, deepen your skills, or hear about new trends. The conference will give access to the latest enterprise IT news, key focus areas, prominent industry leaders and product highlights on emerging technologies all in one space over five days. Register here.
IBM Z Skills Fest is Back!
It’s back! Another IBM Z Skills Fest is kicking off on July 21st and running through July 25th! This week-long, no-cost, virtual event is designed to introduce any type of learner to the world of mainframe technology and AI. This event is a great opportunity to gain valuable skills and connect with a global community of learners passionate about the mainframe.
Event highlights:
- Earn Digital Badges: Gain hands-on experience in a mainframe environment and earn digital badges that showcase your new skills
- Tune In to Career-Focused Videos: Discover what a day in the life of a mainframe professional looks like and get inspired by industry leaders
- Explore AI on Z: Learn about the latest advancements in AI and how they are being integrated with IBM Z to shape the future of technology.
Interesting sessions lined up:
July 21 – The Architecture of Everything
July 22 – Meet the Modern Mainframe
July 23 – The CompSci Behind the Platform
July 24 – Quantum Safe, Cyber Strong
July 25 – Your Future, Accelerated by AI
A more detailed schedule will be shared with attendees after registration. The event is free, global, and open to all learners.
Sonja Soderlund is an Oregon-based B2B freelance writer. Whether writing about mainframe computers, educational technology, or sustainable retail, she strives to bring clarity to complex issues.