Highlights …
1. First Full Release in Five Years
- The first major update since Power10 (2020), with high-end, mid-range, and entry-level Power11 servers, and cloud availability via IBM Power Virtual Server — all launching on July 25, 2025.
2. Performance & AI Enhancements
- Up to 55% better core performance compared to Power9, and 45% more capacity in entry/mid-range models versus Power10.
- Native on-chip Matrix-Math Accelerator (MMA) for AI inference workloads — with seamless integration of the IBM Spyre AI accelerator expected in Q4 2025.
3. Industry-Leading Resilience
- Ships with 99.9999% uptime, equating to just ~31 seconds of unplanned downtime annually.
- Zero planned software downtime thanks to autonomous patching, live updates, and rolling upgrades.
4. Advanced Cybersecurity
- Power Cyber Vault detects ransomware under one minute, with immutable data snapshots to prevent tampering.
- Incorporates quantum‑safe cryptography to future‑proof against evolving threats.
5. Energy Efficiency
- Delivers twice the performance per watt versus comparable x86 servers.
- Includes an Energy Efficient Mode that boosts efficiency up to 28% over max‑performance settings.
6. Memory & Bandwidth
- Supports DDR5 OMI memory with backward compatibility for DDR4 DIMMs.
- Bandwidth per socket reaches ~1,200 GB/s, outperforming current x86 solutions.
7. Hybrid Cloud Readiness
- Available across on-prem and Power Virtual Server from day one, with full hybrid-cloud support.
- Designed to integrate with IBM’s watsonx.data, watsonx Code Assistant, and Red Hat OpenShift AI by end of 2025.
Key Timeline …
- July 8, 2025 : Power11 officially announced
- July 25, 2025 : General availability of servers and cloud option
- Q4 2025 : Spyre AI accelerator and watsonx support launches
Why This Matters …
Power11 marks IBM’s strongest play yet in driving enterprise-level AI deployment, cybersecurity, and hybrid-cloud agility — with standout uptime and energy efficiency. It delivers practical inferencing power (via MMA and Spyre), while offering robust resilience against ransomware and quantum-era threats. The unified release signals IBM’s commitment to modern AI workflows without traditional interruptions.