IBM to refresh pSeries servers

Power5+ processors are to underpin IBM's latest Unix servers

IBM is preparing a major update of its pSeries range of Unix servers, and will rename the range System p5.

The hardware changes are likely to be similar to those IBM made to the iSeries line last week, when it relaunched the range under the name System i5. That major hardware refresh saw four out of five iSeries models upgraded to use IBM’s latest 2.2GHz Power5+ processor.

IBM’s iSeries and pSeries use much the same hardware, so the System p5 range is expected to be updated to use similar kit to the i5 servers.

Ian Jarman, IBM product manager for System i5, said, “[The iSeries refresh was] a couple of weeks ahead of the pSeries announcements.” He added that the pSeries will also soon move to Power5+ chips.