IBM has announced the launch of its newest mainframe computer, the IBM z17, specifically designed to enhance and accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence. Revealed on Monday, the fully encrypted system runs on IBM’s advanced Telum II processor and has capabilities designed to accommodate over 250 distinct AI use cases, from AI-driven software agents to generative AI models.
While mainframes may seem antiquated in a technology landscape captivated by cloud services and servers, they remain pivotal, supporting the computing backbone of many businesses today. Indeed, approximately 71% of Fortune 500 companies still utilize mainframes, and the overall market was valued at roughly $5.3 billion in 2024.
IBM z17 represents a significant leap in mainframe technology, capable of executing 450 billion inference operations daily—a marked 50% improvement over its predecessor, the IBM z16, introduced in 2022 on the original Telum processor. Additionally, IBM has committed to ensuring that the z17 is highly compatible with a variety of hardware, software, and open-source technologies to facilitate seamless integration.
IBM’s Vice President of Product Management and Design for IBM Z, Tina Tarquinio, noted that the z17 has been in development for approximately five years—predating the widespread fervor around AI sparked by the emergence of ChatGPT in late 2022. Throughout its development, IBM dedicated over 2,000 hours to customer research, receiving input from more than 100 companies to ensure the mainframe would meet evolving business requirements.
Tarquinio highlighted how IBM anticipated future industry trends, embedding significant flexibility and adaptability into z17’s architecture—a vital advantage given the rapidly shifting landscape of artificial intelligence. “We purposely built in headroom and agility to handle new and larger AI models as they become available,” she explained. At launch, the IBM z17 will support 48 of the company’s Spyre AI accelerator chips, with plans to increase that capacity to 96 within a year, further underlining the company’s commitment to scalable performance.
Energy efficiency is a priority enhancement for the latest system. According to IBM, the z17 can deliver up to 7.5 times more AI acceleration while consuming approximately 5.5 times less energy compared to other industry accelerators performing multi-model workloads. This impressive feat aligns technology performance with sustainability initiatives in enterprise computing.
IBM’s new z17 mainframes will be officially available to customers beginning June 8.
