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IBM Z17 Mainframe Revolutionizes AI and Quantum Encryption

IBM

Business Honor
09 April, 2025

IBM unveils Z17 mainframe with advanced AI and quantum-safe encryption capabilities.

IBM has unveiled its newest mainframe, the IBM Z17, saying it has redefined artificial intelligence (AI) at scale for businesses. Driven by the next-generation IBM Telum II processor, the Z17 is optimized for workloads like generative AI and agentic AI, and offers significant performance improvements over the prior Z16 generation.

One of the standout features of the Z17 is that it can handle 50% more AI inference operations each day when compared to its previous model. The mainframe is based on a second-generation on-chip AI accelerator built into the Telum II processor. The AI accelerator provides higher compute power, a 40% larger cache, and higher frequency, allowing the Z17 to conduct more than 450 billion AI inference operations per day with a one-millisecond response time. These features enable companies to conduct real-time analytics over their entire volume of transactions, which makes it a valuable utility for companies aiming to use AI in their daily activities.

The Z17 also comes with IBM's Spyre Accelerator, to be released later this year, which will boost its AI. Spyre introduces support for generative AI, which will allow the Z17 to run large language models (LLMs) and AI assistants in a secure environment. This accelerates the usage of untapped enterprise data by businesses, which allows AI at scale while ensuring security and cost-effectiveness.

Adding to its AI features, the Z17 sees the launch of IBM Watsonx Code Assistant for Z and Watsonx Assistant for Z. These AI tools provide chat-based incident detection and resolution, supporting IT teams in detecting anomalies and fixing issues more easily. IBM Z Operations Unite, a new feature, brings operational data from all over IBM Z together so that quicker anomaly detection and resolution can be done.

Furthermore, IBM is making it possible for organizations to migrate to quantum-safe encryption to future-proof their organizations against quantum computing threats. The IBM Z17 thereby presents itself as a future-proof solution for companies that wish to take full advantage of AI without compromising on security.