Customers award top satisfaction scores to IBM System x x86 servers. August 2014 TBR T EC H N O LO G Y B U S I N ES S R ES EAR C H, I N C.

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1 Customers award top satisfaction scores to IBM System x x86 servers August 2014 TBR T EC H N O LO G Y B U S I N ES S R ES EAR C H, I N C.

2 IBM System x satisfaction scores surpass those of competing vendors Enterprises are deploying x86 servers for demanding use cases as they virtualize the servers and draw them into private, public and hybrid cloud computing architectures to support new business outcomes. For example, x86 servers play a significant role in supporting mission- and business-critical data for analytics, leading to a high frequency of user interaction. Enterprises also charge x86 servers with providing near-instant access to important data while managing the entire life cycle of data storage and transmission. With all these demands on x86 servers, s need a trusted partner to optimize the benefits of their x86 servers. Customer satisfaction scores indicate IBM s view the company as a partner they can rely on to provide high-quality x86 servers backed with helpful and responsive services and support. In TBR s 2Q14 Corporate IT Buying Behavior & Customer Satisfaction Study: x86-based Servers (CSAT x86-based Servers Study), IBM s reported the highest level of satisfaction with their x86 servers compared to Dell and HP s. Of the 22 satisfaction attributes measured in TBR s 2Q14 study, IBM achieved the No. 1 position for 16 attributes and tied for the No. 1 position for five attributes. These strong results reflect the satisfaction s have with their System x servers and the sales and services associated with them. Critical attributes highlight the importance of strong satisfaction results As enterprise IT departments virtualize IT infrastructures across x86 servers to support business intelligence and analytics applications, software distribution, application hosting and other important functions, they rely on x86 server vendors to help them receive the most value from their x86 server investments. TBR surveys x86 server s to determine the most critical server attributes for efficient and successful IT operations. In TBR s 2Q14 study, s rated hardware quality and ongoing reliability, performance, and virtualization, efficiency and scalability the most critical attributes to consider when purchasing x86 servers. Customers reported that they place the highest value on server solutions that excel in these critical attributes, while also placing high value on the services and support attributes associated with the servers. Hardware quality and ongoing reliability Enterprises deploy servers in increasingly diverse environments, tasking servers with a growing number of business-critical applications and demanding workloads. To support these environments, s rely on many attributes of service and support to keep their x86 servers operating as effectively as possible. In TBR s CSAT x86- based Servers Study, s reported that initial hardware quality and ongoing hardware reliability are the most important attributes in their server purchasing decisions, highlighting the value of strong satisfaction scores in these attributes. Performance Although all x86 servers are built on a similar foundation of Intel or AMD processors, server vendors develop and add features to optimize the performance of their respective x86 server offerings. These enhancements may be designed to improve performance for a variety of requirements, including compute- or memoryintensive workloads, data-driven applications or transaction processing. Virtualization, efficiency, scalability IT departments use virtualization to improve server efficiency and cost-effectiveness through reduced overhead and operating expenses. Additionally, enterprises seek to efficiently scale IT resources and maximize server 2 IBM x86 Server White Paper August Technology Business Research Inc.

3 hardware capabilities by centralizing administrative tasks through automation based on activity or applications. Processing efficiency and scalability are important for managing the costs associated with the demanding workloads placed on servers as enterprises virtualize IT infrastructures. Service and support Enterprise IT departments choose vendors that serve as partners to enhance in-house support organizations. Highquality services and support help ensure enterprises are able to deploy x86 servers effectively to meet the demands of business processes and applications. In TBR s 2Q14 CSAT x86-based Servers Study, s indicated they choose vendors that provide highly available services and support backed by strong expertise to assist inhouse support resources. IBM excels in satisfaction for all critical server attributes Through investments in new server technology and commitments to high-quality services and support, IBM delivers the x86 server solutions that help s meet their business objectives while optimizing IT resources. IBM earned the No. 1 overall satisfaction rating in TBR s 2Q14 CSAT x86-based Servers Study, achieving strong satisfaction with System x servers and related services. IBM System x servers are designed to deliver a strong value proposition based on high-quality, highly reliable solutions with strong compute performance while scaling to meet the evolving demands enterprises place on their server environments. Additionally, IBM s service and support programs for x86 servers play a prominent role in enhancing the evolution and management of IBM x86 servers. Initial hardware quality and ongoing reliability IBM develops its System x solutions to deliver high-quality hardware. In TBR s study, IBM s reported high satisfaction with System x initial hardware quality, resulting in IBM earning the No. 1 position in rolling six-month satisfaction scores for the quality of System x server hardware. The System x servers also scored well in ongoing hardware reliability, which is critically important to x86 server s. IBM placed No. 1 for ongoing hardware reliability in TBR s 2Q14 CSAT x86-based Servers Study. Performance IBM achieved the highest satisfaction scores in 2Q14 for the performance of its System x servers. IBM s server performance scores were higher than Dell s and HP s x86 server performance scores among both rack and blade server s. Virtualization, efficiency, scalability (The hardware) lasts for a long time without running into problems. In 2Q14 IBM earned the top position in virtualization, efficiency and scalability satisfaction for its System x servers. Enterprises use System x virtualization tools and functionality to optimize performance for workloads supporting specific business objectives. System x servers are designed to offer flexible configurations with highspeed I/O, enhanced memory and processing capabilities optimized to take advantage of the cost reductions and operational efficiencies offered by virtualization. 3 IBM x86 Server White Paper August Technology Business Research Inc.

4 The System x portfolio is expected to transition from IBM to Lenovo in IBM s System x team is also expected to transition to Lenovo, bringing years of innovation experience and ensuring the portfolio continues to deliver high quality, reliability, performance and scalability capabilities to System x s. Service and support Customers surveyed in TBR s CSAT x86-based Servers Study are asked to provide feedback on nine attributes related to the service and support of their x86 servers. In 2Q14 IBM earned the highest satisfaction scores, or tied for the No. 1 position, across all nine service and support attributes. IBM achieved sole possession of the highest satisfaction scores in 2Q14 for on-site response time, on-site technical expertise, online technical support, ongoing services and maintenance, replacement parts availability and social media support. IBM trains its services teams to help enterprises minimize server downtime, cost-effectively manage application deployments and quickly troubleshoot issues. Purchasing System x servers enables enterprises to focus on supporting businesscritical applications, services and processes, while IBM provides assistance or entirely manages the server infrastructure. The company s Global Services division delivers high-quality service through its network of experienced IT professionals. IBM also leverages affiliated partner resources to deploy hardware solutions and software services for the current and emerging needs of an enterprise s IT operations. IBM offers a single point of accountability and is a proactive partner throughout the entire server life cycle for businesses upgrading server environments or updating infrastructures. With the expected transition of System x servers to Lenovo in 2014, it is important to note that IBM will continue to provide support for System x servers for at least the next five years. According to the vendors plans, service and support will be provided by IBM and managed by Lenovo. Lenovo also scored well in service and support satisfaction for its PCs, measured in TBR s Corporate IT Buying Behavior & Customer Satisfaction Study: Desktops and Corporate IT Buying Behavior & Customer Satisfaction Study: Notebooks. In 4Q13 Lenovo took sole possession of the No. 1 position for initial hardware quality and management capabilities of notebook PCs compared to Dell and HP. In 1Q14 Lenovo earned the highest satisfaction score for on-site response time for support of its notebook PCs and shared the No. 1 position for ongoing reliability; virtualization, efficiency and scalability; total cost of ownership; management capabilities; replacement parts availability; sales responsiveness; on-site technical expertise; and on-site technical support. TBR believes these results reflect Lenovo s commitment to technology enhancements and value improvements th at will continue to deliver benefits to current and future System x s. Conclusion System x servers have been developed to help s meet and exceed the important demands they place on x86 servers. Based on consistent feedback in the CSAT x86-based Servers Study, IBM meets high standards for quality, reliability, performance, virtualization, efficiency and scalability, and all aspects of service and support, reflecting IBM s effectiveness in aligning its System x portfolio of servers and services with s requirements. IBM s No. 1 overall ranking in TBR s 2Q14 CSAT x86-based Servers Study demonstrates System x solutions are meeting the evolving demands of today s enterprises through *IBM is+ very responsive and quick. *IBM was+ fast, efficient, and the product worked the first time. high-quality services and support. IBM s and Lenovo s high satisfaction ratings for hardware quality 4 IBM x86 Server White Paper August Technology Business Research Inc.

5 and reliability and high-quality sales processes and services and support indicate IBM and Lenovo have the resources and expertise to manage the transition of the System x portfolio to L enovo to create a positive impact for s. About TBR s Quarterly Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) Studies Technology Business Research Inc. (TBR) measures the expectations, satisfaction and loyalty of enterprise s in its quarterly CSAT studies. TBR surveys more than 1,200 individuals responsible for the purchasing of x86 servers and PCs at North America-based enterprises with more than 500 employees on a quarterly basis. TBR ranks major vendors in each form factor area through a series of indices including sales satisfaction, product satisfaction, service satisfaction and loyalty. About TBR Technology Business Research Inc. is a leading independent technology market research and consulting firm specializing in the business and financial analyses of hardware, software, professional services, telecom and enterprise network vendors, and operators. Serving a global clientele, TBR provides timely and actionable market research and business intelligence in formats that are tailored to clients needs. Our analysts are available to further address client-specific issues or information needs on an inquiry or proprietary consulting basis. For more information TBR has been empowering corporate decision makers since For more information, visit Technology Business Research Inc. This report is based on information made available to the public by the vendor and other public sources. No representation is made that this information is accurate or complete. Technology Business Research will not be held liable or responsible for any decisions that are made based on this information. The information contained in this report and all other TBR products is not and should not be construed to be investment advice. TBR does not make any recommendations or provide any advice regarding the value, purchase, sale or retention of securities. This report is copyright-protected and supplied for the sole use of the recipient. Contact Technology Business Research, Inc. for permission to reproduce. 5 IBM x86 Server White Paper August Technology Business Research Inc.