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Getachew Zeleke - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Custormer Engineer at Afcor PLC
Real User
Top 10Leaderboard
Reasonably-priced and easy to set up
Pros and Cons
  • "The initial setup is simple and straightforward."
  • "Technical support and documentation need to be improved."

What is our primary use case?

We are a solution provider and we implement these systems for our clients. They are used for networking and other functions.

What is most valuable?

The most valuable features are Power Server, Power5, Power6, and PowerForce.

What needs improvement?

The power supplies often need replacing.

Technical support and documentation need to be improved.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with IBM Power Systems for about 20 years.

Buyer's Guide
IBM Power Systems
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about IBM Power Systems. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
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What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The Power Systems are scalable.

How are customer service and support?

IBM provides us with procedures for assisting our clients when they need technical support.

Unfortunately, sometimes when I try to contact the technical support from IBM, they do not come back to me with answers.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have worked with many similar solutions.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is simple and straightforward. You just connect the cables.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The pricing is reasonable.

What other advice do I have?

The suitability of this product depends on the customer's environment and its requirements. In general, I am 100% confident in the IBM Power Systems and I recommend them.

I would rate this solution an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: reseller
PeerSpot user
Amjad Banna - PeerSpot reviewer
Computer Engineer at GCE
Real User
Great performance, a huge capacity for memory, and has a very good PowerVC
Pros and Cons
  • "The performance is the solution's most valuable asset. It has one of the highest levels of performance I have ever seen. It's quite remarkable, in that sense."
  • "It would be ideal if the solution was more simple to work with."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for its use as a bank and commercial solution. We use it for core banking and for day-to-day work on the DBA, the database.

What is most valuable?

The performance is the solution's most valuable asset. It has one of the highest levels of performance I have ever seen. It's quite remarkable, in that sense.

The memory is great. We can have a huge amount of memory. However, the main reason to work with the solution is the performance, since inter-servers cannot be compared with the cores of both systems.

The PowerVC make it so simple since we can deal with it just like VMware, just like virtual machines, and it's really simple.

What needs improvement?

The solution is currently working on the old PowerVCs. We welcome this improvement.

It would be ideal if the solution was more simple to work with. 

The initial setup is difficult.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with the solution for about two years now.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I haven't found the solution to have any stability problems. I don't think I can recall dealing with bugs or glitches that disrupted our work. The system doesn't freeze or crash. It's quite reliable and offers great performance.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Scaling the solution is possible and would be quite easy. Companies that need to scale up can do so with this IBM product.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've had to reach out to technical support in the past. The level of service they offer has been quite good. We've been very happy with them so far.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not straightforward. It's quite complex, especially for those implementing it for the first time. While it will never be simple, per se, it does get easier the more setups you end up performing.

A non-tech person would simply not be able to handle the implementation. You will need someone that's knowledgable.

Not just the implementation, but the registration, and many other parts of the deployment take a rather long time. It's not a quick process. If we're just talking about the installation with servers, you are looking at four or five days right there. However, if you factor in migration or other administrations, you are looking at a one to three-month deployment timeframe.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We're partners. We have a business relationship with IBM.

I'd advise others considering the product that, while it is pricy, you can't beat the performance you get on it.

I'd recommend the solution for big databases and high-performance applications.

I'd rate the solution eight out of ten. If it wasn't so complex, I'd give the solution higher marks. Most people nowadays look for simplicity and they want to have non-technical people deal with everything, just like a cloud solution. However, you need someone specialized in order to handle it.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

While the solution is quite expensive, the level of service provided is second to none. It makes it worth the price.

What other advice do I have?

We tend to use the on-premises deployment model as cloud versions are not very popular in Jordan.

We primarily sell the solution to clients.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
IBM Power Systems
June 2025
Learn what your peers think about IBM Power Systems. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: June 2025.
857,028 professionals have used our research since 2012.
Pre-Sales Engineer at AMH CONSULTING
Reseller
Stable product with good availability and visibility
Pros and Cons
  • "It is a very scalable solution."
  • "Its pricing could be better."

What is most valuable?

The solution's most valuable features are speed and capacity on demand. It works faster than Intel Power Processor.

What needs improvement?

They should improve the solution's pricing. Also, they should provide proper documentation to understand the setup process.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for more than two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is a stable solution.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is a very scalable solution as it has capacity on demand. We can activate many features depending on the business requirements.

How are customer service and support?

The solution’s technical support team is good.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I have worked with Lenovo Server, HP Server, Dell Server, and SolarWinds earlier.

How was the initial setup?

The solution’s initial setup was complex.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

The solution's native server is not much expensive. But, the additional software required for visualization and data protection is highly-priced.

What other advice do I have?

The solution is suitable for prevention and maintenance. If you have the budget and a knowledgeable executive to manage the system, you should buy IBM Power Systems. I rate it a nine out of ten for its availability and visibility.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Reseller
PeerSpot user
Şefik Mert Polatay - PeerSpot reviewer
General manager at Atlas Consulting Bilisim Hizmetleri Ltd.
Real User
Top 5
The best solution for MIMIX and high availability
Pros and Cons
  • "Power Systems' best features include its user-friendliness and self-checking/self-healing abilities."
  • "Power Systems' price could always be lower."

What is our primary use case?

I primarily use Power Systems for high availability and security.

What is most valuable?

Power Systems' best features include its user-friendliness and self-checking/self-healing abilities. It's also the best solution for MIMIX and high availability.

What needs improvement?

Power Systems' price could always be lower.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with Power Systems for over thirty years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

Power Systems is totally stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Power Systems is very scalable.

How are customer service and support?

IBM's tech support is one of Power Systems' best features.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very easy - you just power it on, and it's ready to work in an hour.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Power Systems is very cheap and provides good value for money.

What other advice do I have?

I would 100% recommend Power Systems to other users and would rate it ten out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1015527 - PeerSpot reviewer
Gerente CPD-Dcloud at a tech services company with 201-500 employees
Real User
Use Linux and AIX in the same hardware
Pros and Cons
  • "The main feature that I have found most valuable is PowerVM - its virtualization feature which is the most powerful."
  • "In the next release, I would like to see additional graphical dashboards to help the administrators access information more easily."

What is our primary use case?

Our primary use case for IBM Power Systems is Oracle Databases.

What is most valuable?

The main feature that I have found most valuable is PowerVM - its virtualization feature which is the most powerful.

With the new POWER9, and even with the POWER8, processor, IBM has incorporated Linux compatibility into its platform. All its new developments on this platform are great. I really don't see anything at the moment which would be improving the platform. I'm totally grateful for the possibility of using Linux and AIX in the same hardware.

What needs improvement?

In the next release, I would like to see additional graphical dashboards to help the administrators access information more easily.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using IBM Power Systems for five years. I work in a company selling IBM Power Solutions. I've been selling Power solutions for the last 10 years. We are IBM's partner in Bolivia.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I'm totally satisfied with the solution. It helps the IT team especially so they can work quite confidently.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

IBM Power Systems' platform scales with the different types of equipment so you start using a little hardware, but not as little as it might sound because it is a very powerful platform, for the little servers. So you can grow up and scale out. You can scale up quite easily with the IBM Power Systems.

We have between 800 to 1,000 users. All of them have access to the apps that use the database.

In terms of staff required for deployment or maintenance, there are six guys who are database administrators and operating system administrators.

Right now we do not have plans to increase the usage, maybe in the future.

How are customer service and support?

We needed to use IBM support just a couple of times and the onset time was quite comfortable so I can say I'm comfortable with quality of service support from IBM.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is not complex. It's not quite easy, but with the service support it's quite easy.

With AIX it takes between two and six hours to prepare the platform for a new environment for the production stage and once the initial environment has been set up it is quite easy because you can replicate it or modify it according to your new requirements.

What about the implementation team?

We have our own service team in our company so we didn't use external services.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

We bought the license for a three year period. We always buy hardware with a three-year support and maintenance fee. It's just the standard fee.

What other advice do I have?

To anyone considering it, I would say that the IBM Power platform is so secure and stable.

On a scale of one to ten, I would give IBM Power Systems an eight.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
reviewer1166205 - PeerSpot reviewer
Brand Leader at a tech services company with 1,001-5,000 employees
Real User
Top 20
Great performance and reliability, but machine learning, software testing and compatibility, and price should be addressed
Pros and Cons
  • "When it comes to reliability, availability and profitability, nothing can beat IBM Power Systems."
  • "Software testing and the compatibility of software products that are available in the market should be addressed."

What is most valuable?

When it comes to reliability, availability and profitability, nothing can beat IBM Power Systems. The machine has great availability and is very serviceable. One can do so many things while the machine is up and running. There is no need to shut anything down. This is how we have been conducting our business for the past few years. 

What needs improvement?

There are several features which I feel should be added to the solution, including those concerning the graphic processors. 

I am referring to the GPU based machines involved in machine learning. The new systems focus on the part involved in experiencing, but not on machine learning. The product should come with a comprehensive portfolio which will address all the high performance computing requirements, in additiona to machine and deep learning. This is an issue which I raised with IBM. 

Software testing and the compatibility of software products that are available in the market should be addressed. This is an issue we sometimes face, as this particular product is not tested, certified and available in Power Systems. We have lost deals over this. 

The price of the solution could be somewhat better and this is what lowers my rating of it to a seven or eight out of ten. We directly compete with Intel-based products, which several vendors make available, and a price improvement would certainly give us an advantage over the competition. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using IBM Power Systems for more than 10 years.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

I rate the solution as a seven or eight out of ten for its price. As we are talking about a very competitive market, the pricing could be a bit better. This would give us a definite edge over the competition, as we find ourselves in direct competition with Intel-based products, which are available from a number of vendors. 

What other advice do I have?

This system is ideal when it comes to performance and reliability. I don't see any need for improving on its current features and functionality. 

We are resellers of IBM FlashSystem. 

Owing to the issues with its pricing, I rate IBM Power Systems as a seven or eight out of ten. 

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer967758 - PeerSpot reviewer
VP Innovation at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Reseller
Very secure, extremely scalable, and offers helpful technical support
Pros and Cons
  • "I can have what they call multi-tenancy, meaning that I can have multiple tenants within the same server."
  • "If you asked me what I'd like added, I'd say that it'd be nice if they ran GPUs, however, I know that's not the direction they're going. That said, I would appreciate it if they offered GPU support."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution for running an ERP. Use cases can go from very small to very big. I'm talking about a hardware device, and therefore it can run all kinds of different software. The virtualization is outstanding. It can go from very, very small to very, very big. We personally use it so that we can use multi-tenancy. 

I can have multiple clients on one server and I can cut it up into tiny pieces. Where a customer would normally have to buy, let's say, one solution for a hundred thousand dollars, instead, they can share that a hundred thousand dollars with five other customers as one customer doesn't actually need a complete server. Clients can share it for cost reasons. 

What is most valuable?

It's very secure.

I can have what they call multi-tenancy, meaning that I can have multiple tenants within the same server.

The reliability of the solution has been excellent.

The solution is stable.

Technical support is exceptional.

The scalability is very, very good.

What needs improvement?

I've worked with the solution for a very long time, and therefore, when it comes to the things that it doesn't support, I've accepted that and I understand why they won't. If you asked me what I'd like added, I'd say that it'd be nice if they ran GPUs, however, I know that's not the direction they're going. That said, I would appreciate it if they offered GPU support. 

It used to have it and they pulled it out. That's something that's missing from it, however, there are workarounds.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been working with this product for 35 years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is very stable. There are no bugs or glitches. the security is excellent and the performance is good.

I literally have customers that have a server like this in a cupboard and they don't even know where their server is as it just keeps running.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability on offer is excellent. It's very easy to scale and works well for small to large organizations. 

How are customer service and support?

Technical support is excellent. We have been very happy with the level of service we get. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is very simple and straightforward. It's not complex. A company shouldn't have any issues with the implementation. 

In terms of maintenance, we have a large staff, however, that's necessary due to the fact that we support so many clients. You need an administrator and it depends on how many clients you have, how many administrators you need. For a lot of our clients, we sell them one of these servers, and then we do all the work for them. We install it and then we do the administration. You need the appropriate administrators when you have this product. Small clients may need one administrator, whereas larger ones might need three or four.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

We also work with Lenovo.

What other advice do I have?

We are a reseller of IBM and Lenovo equipment. We are on the infrastructure side, mostly on the hardware side.

We sell systems to clients, however, we also have a cloud environment that we sell to clients using that equipment. We always say to customers, we sell what to them what we use ourselves.

We use versions seven to ten.

There are a lot of well-kept secrets to this product that a lot of people are not aware of and do not leverage all of the features that are available on the system. Therefore, if a company is looking to implement this solution, it should do some research. Go to user groups to speak to other users to find out about those well-kept secrets, free of charge.

I'd rate the solution a perfect ten out of ten. It's outstanding. It's so reliable. I have customers that run it that never touch it. It runs for 20 years by itself in a closet. It runs their entire business. 

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer:
PeerSpot user
it_user1406979 - PeerSpot reviewer
Senior Business Consultant at a tech vendor with 10,001+ employees
Consultant
Hypervisor is the most useful, and it has good scalability and stability
Pros and Cons
  • "I use the hypervisor of IBM Power Systems a lot."
  • "Its price can be improved. It is too high."

What is our primary use case?

We use this solution for the cloud and for some requirements related to the database.

What is most valuable?

I use the hypervisor of IBM Power Systems a lot.

What needs improvement?

Its price can be improved. It is too high. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using IBM Power Systems for about eight years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It has very good stability. It has five nights of stability.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

Its scalability is very good. You can scale it based on your demand and needs. We have four people who use this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is good. I would rate them an eight out of ten. It should be easier to contact technical support, and their response time should be quicker. 

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is a little bit complex. You need to have some technical knowledge to set up the system and interfaces. The deployment took about eight hours. 

The implementation strategy depends on the strategy of IBM and our enterprise.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Its price is too high.

What other advice do I have?

Before implementing a solution, analyze the good points and benefits of different solutions, and make sure that the solution meets your requirements.

I would rate IBM Power Systems an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer: Partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free IBM Power Systems Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2025
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Buyer's Guide
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