Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) made a significant technological advancement by commissioning IBM’s latest zSeries eServer, the z900-102, at its Sholinganallur facility near Chennai. This investment, amounting to approximately ₹25 crore, positioned TCS as the first organization in the ASEAN and South Asia region to adopt this advanced mainframe technology.
The z900-102 model is a 64-bit mainframe-class server designed for high availability and optimized for e-business applications. Capable of processing about 480 million instructions per second, this server significantly enhanced TCS’s computing capabilities. With this addition, TCS’s in-house mainframe capacity surpassed the 1,000 MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second) mark, reinforcing its position as a leader in the IT services sector.
TCS’s relationship with IBM dates back to 1988, when it established a center in Chennai equipped with an IBM 3090 mainframe. Over the years, TCS has consistently invested in IBM’s technologies, customizing and installing several mainframe systems across India. By 1997, TCS operated three mainframe data centers, with the largest running two 9672 R 35 systems, demonstrating its commitment to leveraging IBM’s platforms to serve a global clientele.
The commissioning of the zSeries eServer also marked TCS’s strategic move towards embracing Linux as a key operating system platform. Encouraged by successful experiments with Linux on IBM’s S/390 server, TCS integrated Linux on the new eServer. This integration aimed to enhance TCS’s capabilities in delivering Linux-based solutions, positioning the company to emerge as one of the largest Linux solution providers and opening up new possibilities in the IT services domain.
This strategic investment not only bolstered TCS’s infrastructure but also underscored its proactive approach to adopting cutting-edge technologies. By enhancing its computing power, TCS aimed to meet the growing demands of application development and maintenance, ensuring successful delivery of services in an evolving IT landscape.
