IBM to Support Linux KVM Virtualization on Power Systems (eWeek)
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) officials are looking to accelerate the adoption of Linux in the data center and are taking a number of new steps to push along the effort. At the Red Hat Summit in Boston, IBM officials said the company will support the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) virtualization hypervisor technology in the Power servers that run Linux. In addition, IBM in July will open two Power Systems Linux Centers in the United States, which will help software developers to more easily build applications that leverage Linux and IBM’s Power 7+ chip technology.
IBM Develops Brain-Simulating Supercomputer With 128TB Flash (Digital Trends)
According to CNET, the minds at International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) seem to like the idea, and the group is developing a supercomputer that has some serious “brain power” (pun intended). We know that most of you are probably freaking out about the inevitable robot uprising that all the recent Sci-Fi movies outline, but don’t go panicking on us when we give you this news: IBM is creating a brain-simulating supercomputer. Okay, so it’s based on a rat’s brain and not a human brain, but the creation of this supercomputer is not a simple task. For those curious, a rat’s brain contains around 70 million neurons. In order to mimic that structure, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM)’s super creation needed to pack some serious firepower. This is where things get pretty crazy. The average computer contains somewhere between 128GB to 512GB of flash memory. The Blue Gene/Q rat-brain supercomputer contains a massive 128TB of flash memory. That’s roughly 250 to 1,000 times more memory than an average, modern computer.
IBM Said to Start U.S. Job Cuts Today Amid Global Reduction (Bloomberg)
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM), the world’s largest computer-services provider, began cutting U.S. jobs today as part of a global restructuring plan announced in April, a person familiar with the move said. The reduction targets employees with a range of seniority, from rank-and-file staff to executives, said the person, who asked not to be named because the information is private. Some U.S. workers began to receive notifications of the cuts last night, according to Lee Conrad, a coordinator for Alliance@IBM, an employee group. The restructuring will cost $1 billion worldwide, including severance expenses.
IBM Puts DevOps to Work (eWeek)
DevOps is a software development method that stresses communication, collaboration and integration between software developers and IT professionals or operations staff. DevOps is a response to the interdependence of software development and IT operations. It aims to help an organization rapidly produce software products and services. DevOps is all the rage these days. It was a prominent fixture at both IBM Innovate 2013 and Microsoft TechEd 2013 over the past week. At Innovate, International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) announced new initiatives to expand the development capabilities of IBM’s SmartCloud and IBM MobileFirst offerings and shore up the company’s foray into the world of DevOps.
UMC Joins IBM Chip Alliance for 10nm Process Development (PR Newswire)
International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) and United Microelectronics Corp (ADR) (NYSE:UMC) (“UMC”), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced that UMC will join the IBM Technology Development Alliances as a participant in the group’s development of 10nm CMOS process technology. “Established over a decade ago, the IBM alliance allows the partners to leverage our combined expertise and collaborative research and innovative technology development to address the demanding needs for advanced semiconductor applications,” said Gary Patton, VP, IBM Semiconductor Research & Development. “UMC is a strong addition to the alliance.” Po Wen Yen, CEO at United Microelectronics Corp (ADR) (NYSE:UMC), added, “International Business Machines Corp. (NYSE:IBM) is a recognized leader in fundamental semiconductor technology. We are extremely pleased to work jointly with IBM on advanced fundamentals, and to contribute our many years of experience in developing highly competitive manufacturing technology…”
