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The new machines can process up to one billion transactions per day, double the performance of the Series z990, and process up to 6,000 secure online handshakes per second, around three times as many as the previous generation.

The z9 is based around the IBM multichip module (MCM), an advanced semiconductor and packaging technology. The 95 x 95 x 8.5mm module contains 16 chips mounted on 102 layers of ceramic glass connected to over 5,184 I/Os pins by 540 meters of wire. The module uses IBM's leading-edge 90nm copper and Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology and contains over 3.5 billion transistors.

Given that a large corporation will expect to run its business on a System z9, security is a major concern. IBM says though that the sheer power inherent in the machines means that encryption can be enabled throughout

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the process without any loss of performance. Security has also been enhanced in the z/OS and IBM says it will enable customers to encrypt data to partners, suppliers, and remote or archive sites across multiple servers.

Big Blue says each system is fitted with master encryption keys stored in a 'tamper-resistant' package that is designed to zero-out data that prevents physical capture by a hacker. The System z9 has the capabilities to allow consistent security policies across server, data and the network through centralised key management in z/OS and other built-in security features.

The other major selling point of the System z9 is virtualisation. Able to run five major operating systems including its native z/OS version 1.7 and Linux, IBM says the machines allow customers to create hundreds of virtual servers on a single system with up to 60 logical hardware partitions, which is twice as many as the z990.

IBM claims that it is possible to run Java- and Linux-based applications at the same time via the System z9 Application Assist Processor (zAAP) and Integrated Facility for Linux (IFL).

There are five models in the System z9 109 (z9-109) range with between one and 54 configurable processor units. IBM says that the first four models, with one to 38 processor units, are planned to be available in September 2005, and the high-capacity model S54 is planned to be available November 2005.