Unisys Enhances ClearPath Server Family
New models, software, and Specialty Engines help preserve client IT investments, enable integration with mobile and intelligent devices
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Unisys Corporation has announced a range of enhancements to its ClearPath family of mainframe servers designed to help clients transform their enterprise data centers and reduce costs while preserving and extending the value of their investments in business-critical applications.
The new offerings announced today are:
- Server and enterprise software enhancements, including new models of the ClearPath Libra and Dorado lines and new releases of the MCP and OS 2200 operating environments
- Specialty Engines that enhance ClearPath system price/performance by offloading support for specialized applications and supporting integration of intelligent devices such as iPhones and iPods;
- Support for the latest EMC enterprise storage systems
New Clear Path Models Boost Performance and Economy of Ownership
Five new ClearPath models range from high-end to entry-level systems. By leveraging new processor units and input/output (I/O) subsystems, the new models deliver markedly higher performance than predecessor ClearPath models, yielding up to 300 percent improvements in I/O and networking capacity and 200 percent in price/performance.
These models afford clients new options in scalability, reliability, and security to accommodate growing transaction loads and burgeoning networking and storage requirements
Four of the new models -- ClearPath Libra Models 780/790 (shipping now) and ClearPath Dorado Models 740/750 (shipping June 17) -- use Unisys-designed CMOS processor technology, reinforcing Unisys' commitment to provide increasing power and scalability in classic mainframe platforms.
Designed for very large transaction-processing environments and other mission-critical tasks requiring continuous availability with high security, the new ClearPath Libra Models 780 and 790 are the most powerful systems ever to run the Unisys MCP operating environment. The mid-range ClearPath Dorado Models 740 and 750 are designed to accommodate transaction processing requiring variable performance workloads.
The new entry-level to mid-range ClearPath Dorado Model 4050 (shipping now) uses Intel Xeon x64 processors and is the latest Unisys product to deliver a next-generation architecture based on advanced Intel technology for all Unisys servers.
Base configurations of the new ClearPath models are priced as follows:
- ClearPath Libra Models 780 and 790 from $3.3 million
- ClearPath Dorado Models 740 and 750 from $2 million
- ClearPath Dorado Model 4050 from $420,000
Like other members of the ClearPath family, the new models provide flexible resource management, enabling clients to match their expenditures to their business requirements. Metering -- a pay-for-use system software licensing capability -- allows clients to handle dynamically changing workloads economically by maximizing system capacity during peaks and minimizing costs when system usage is low. This allows clients to pay for the exact amount of processing power they use, as they use it, with state-of-the-art usage monitoring.
Users of the new models -- and all other supported models in the ClearPath family -- can benefit from new releases of the OS 2200 and MCP operating environments. Both OS2200 release 12.0 and MCP Release 12.1 include enhancements in operations automation, standards-based interoperability, application development, security, and application modernization through SOA implementation.
Specialty Engines Enhance Support for Mobile Users and System Interoperability
The new OS2200 and MCP releases provide support for single-purpose Specialty Engines 00 integrated processors that offload functions from the central system, enhancing both performance (and thus price/performance). These engines help enterprise clients modernize their application environments and enhance productivity by allowing workers to leverage standard applications and interfaces.
Through an innovative new capability, the ClearPath ePortal Specialty Engine enables mobile workers using intelligent devices such as Apple iPhone and iPod touch units to communicate with ClearPath applications. Clients with these devices can use the look-and-feel they are familiar with to gain transparent access to critical business information.
The enhanced ClearPath ePortal provides multiple options for integrating these intelligent devices. The options include a plug-and-play capability that generates the iPhone/iPod touch application interface; capabilities to customize Web-based ClearPath applications with an iPhone/iPod touch look-and-feel; and integration of native iPhone applications with ClearPath solutions.
Two new Specialty Engines for the ClearPath Dorado line provide enhanced interoperability with heterogeneous systems. The new OS 2200 QProcessor enables transparent communication and information exchange between systems through the widely used IBM Websphere MQ Server messaging facility. The OS 2200 JProcessor -- complementing one already available for MCP-based systems -- enables integration of new Java applications for a more expansive SOA environment.
ClearPath Enriched with EMC Symmetrix V-Max Storage, End-to-End Services
By providing integrated support for the recently announced EMC Symmetrix V-Max system, Unisys provides expanded, cost-effective storage options for virtual data centers in transaction-intensive applications.
This high-end EMC storage array provides incremental scalability as storage needs increase, with simplified, secure management and 24/7 availability across all storage tiers. In addition, clients can benefit from Unisys and EMC’s extensive services and support in deploying the Symmetrix V-Max systems for enterprise computing.
Unisys complements the new enhancements announced today with a spectrum of services to help ClearPath clients obtain maximum value from their investments. The services range from platform implementation and applications competencies such as SOA and modernization, to infrastructure competencies such as systems management and automation.
For further information on Unisys ClearPath servers and solutions, visit http://www.unisys.com/products/mainframes/index.htm.