Amid intensifying data center space shortages and cost pressures, IBM has unveiled new configurations for small form factor mainframe and Linux systems. This marks the first time that single-frame and rack-mount configurations have been simultaneously applied to the entire Z and LinuxONE product families, targeting the demand for enterprise-grade performance even in limited spaces.

On the 8th, IBM introduced new single-frame and rack-mount configurations for IBM z17 and IBM LinuxONE 5.

CBRE’s '2026 Global Data Center Trends Report' analyzed that large-scale sensitive data processing companies are facing historically low vacancy rates and rising rents.

IBM announced that it has added a configuration to its product line that combines space efficiency and performance in response to this market environment.

The new configuration supports up to 82 cores and 18TB of memory.

Compared to the existing IBM z16, the number of cores increased by about 20% and the memory capacity increased by about 12%.

IBM stated that the IBM z17 ME2 can run a full-speed z/OS environment even in a single-processor configuration and provides up to 10% higher throughput per core compared to the IBM z16 A02, although this varies depending on the workload and system configuration.

The IBM z17 single frame is supplied as an all-in-one unit including an IBM rack and an intelligent power distribution unit (iPDU).

The IBM z17 rack mount allows for the direct mounting of IBM Z components into customers' existing standard racks, enabling mixed deployment with third-party equipment.

This system combines the IBM Telum II processor, IBM Spyre accelerator, and Red Hat OpenShift AI to support multi-model AI inference capabilities.

IBM explained that predictive AI and generative AI can be utilized simultaneously during transaction processing. />
In terms of security, quantum-resistant cryptography is built into the IBM z17 and LinuxONE Rockhopper 5, and a new feature of IBM Crypto Discovery & Inventory allows for the integrated management of crypto assets across the enterprise.

Tom McPherson, General Manager of IBM Z and LinuxOne, stated, “With the rise of mission-critical workloads, an increasing number of companies are being forced to choose between performance, AI integration, and infrastructure scale,” adding, “This system provides the flexibility to select the environment best suited for the workload and will enable more organizations to access the technology.”

The IBM z17 single frame rack mount, LinuxOne Rockhopper 5, and LinuxOne 5 Express are scheduled for official release on August 12.