The new IBM mainframe system aims to revolutionize enterprise infrastructure with unprecedented availability, integrated AI, and an open ecosystem to tackle the challenges of the digital future.
IBM has officially announced the launch of LinuxONE Emperor 5, the new generation of its enterprise server platform based on Linux, designed to meet the growing demands of modern businesses driven by artificial intelligence (AI). This solution stands out by offering up to eight nines of availability (99.999999%), a level that promises to ensure operational continuity and reduce risks, which is critical in sectors handling sensitive workloads and real-time transactions.
Integrated AI at the core: Telum II and Spyre Accelerator
At the heart of the new LinuxONE Emperor 5 is the IBM Telum II processor, which incorporates a second-generation AI accelerator directly on the chip. This advancement allows organizations to scale predictive models and large language models (LLMs) with greater accuracy and efficiency, especially in environments with high transaction volumes.
Complementing this capability is the upcoming IBM Spyre Accelerator, a PCIe card set to arrive in the fourth quarter of 2025 to expand the possibilities of generative AI. This component has been designed to enhance use cases ranging from advanced fraud detection to image processing and retail automation.
Moreover, IBM has updated its AI Toolkit for LinuxONE, specifically optimizing it for Telum II performance, thus facilitating developers’ efforts to implement AI solutions more quickly and effectively.
Red Hat OpenShift: virtualization and AI on one platform
Another significant update accompanying this announcement is the preview availability of Red Hat OpenShift AI and OpenShift Virtualization on IBM LinuxONE 5. This will enable organizations to manage traditional workloads (virtual machines) and modern workloads (containers) from a single interface, thereby simplifying operations and accelerating the deployment of AI models in production.
For now, customers can experiment with language models running in standard mode using templates compatible with vLLM, while IBM continues its efforts to expand compatibility and general availability in the coming months.
An open ecosystem poised for growth
LinuxONE Emperor 5 relies on a robust ecosystem that includes both independent software vendors (ISVs) and the open-source community. Thanks to partnerships with companies such as Canonical (Ubuntu) and SUSE, the system supports multiple Linux distributions, ensuring great flexibility for integrating and deploying varied workloads.
Additionally, hundreds of IBM partners worldwide are trained to assist organizations in modernization processes, infrastructure consolidation, and AI adoption, with LinuxONE serving as a technological pillar.
Comprehensive support and lifecycle management
To ensure the continuous operation of the most demanding environments, IBM offers LinuxONE Expert Care, a monitoring and incident resolution service available 24/7. It also provides technical support for key components of the ecosystem, such as Red Hat or SUSE, and maintains close collaboration with its network of integrators.
The new LinuxONE is backed by IBM Technology Lifecycle Services, covering everything from installation to continuous optimization and modernization of IT infrastructures.
A strategic bet for the future
With LinuxONE Emperor 5, IBM reinforces its commitment to a more resilient, secure, and future-ready infrastructure for artificial intelligence. The system has been designed not only to reduce operational costs— as demonstrated in internal comparisons with x86 solutions, where it managed to consolidate equivalent workloads with a smaller physical and energy footprint— but also to deliver new capabilities in regulated sectors, financial services, retail, and more.
On May 13, 2025, IBM will host the virtual event “LinuxONE: Unlocked”, where more technical details and real use cases for this innovative platform will be unveiled. Interested parties can register now via the official website: ibm.com/linuxone-5.
With this launch, IBM continues to lead the way toward a modern, sustainable data center infrastructure ready for the era of artificial intelligence.