IBM plans to release a dual-architecture mainframe processor that can run operating systems and applications on both IBM and Arm.

The unique processor can run Arm-native Linux environments simultaneously with z/OS and Linux on IBM Z. Rather than bespoke cores for either system, each is capable of concurrent operations.

“As organizations modernize their application portfolios and integrate AI into core business operations, they need infrastructure that expands their options,” Christian Jacobi, CTO and IBM Fellow for IBM Systems Development, explained. “This processor represents a significant architectural advancement for IBM Z and LinuxOne. By bringing Arm natively to our platform, we're combining access to one of the industry's fastest-growing software ecosystems with the qualities that have made IBM systems the foundation for how businesses run today.”

The 11-core, 5.7 GHz chip includes AI inference accelerators for in-transaction fraud detection, a dedicated on-chip data processing unit for input/output (I/O) acceleration, and a 3.5-gigabyte cache architecture for demanding enterprise workloads.

“As AI scales, more of the computing landscape is converging on Arm,” Mohamed Awad, EVP for cloud AI at Arm, added. “IBM Z and LinuxOne power some of the world’s most demanding workloads in highly regulated industries. Bringing Arm compute and its software ecosystem to these platforms will extend that momentum into mission-critical enterprise infrastructure to give organizations greater choice in how they deploy AI.”