Re: Announcement letter 915-050, November 30, 2015, various Power7 and Power7+ processor modules and core activations are being withdrawn

On 02-Mar-2015 22:25 -0600, Steinmetz, Paul wrote:

How will this impact Power7 and Power7+ users?

Unless there are plans or eventual needs encountered for which those listed hardware or hardware upgrades [in]to that hardware are required *after* the Hardware Withdrawal date [within their region], then they probably can effectively just ignore that announcement.

Do we need to consider an upgrade to Power8?

Probably not with any urgency, and not directly in response to that announcement. But future planning, having taken into consideration that announcement, might decide on such action [or plans for even newer possibly as-yet unannounced hardware replacements]. All that is required really, is that anyone who might want to by older-generation hardware, either into which to upgrade or as separate from an upgrade, will instead, since that cutoff date, have to go either to the used-market or purchase newer-generation hardware instead.

In a separate and unrelated development, IBM is giving customers who
might want to buy Power7 and Power7+ systems, peripherals for them, or
feature conversions related to them that it will be pulling the plug on
a bunch of iron this coming November 30. In announcement letter 915-050,
various Power7 and Power7+ processor modules and core activations are
being withdrawn, and so are vintage Power 710, Power 730, Power 740,
Power 770, Power 780, and Power 795 machines based on these processors

Unrelated? Seems the topic of the OP, the subject anyhow, was specifically about that announcement letter?

Keep in mind that the withdrawal is "from marketing" which is far different from an implication that all such hardware and purchases suddenly disappear; purchases of everything listed can be purchased up until the cutoff, and afterward the existing inventory from both IBM and in the used market still can be purchased.

<http://www.ibm.com/common/ssi/rep_ca/0/897/ENUS915-050/ENUS915-050.PDF>
"Effective November 30, 2015, IBM(R) will withdraw from marketing the following selected IBM Power SystemsTM, model upgrades, associated features and feature conversions. On or after the effective date of withdrawal, you can no longer order these products directly from IBM."

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