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TORONTO -- Continuing its commitment to Linux and heterogeneity, Platform Computing today announced support for Linux on the IBM eServer zSeries mainframe, extending Enterprise Grid computing to the mainframe. By making its commercial Grid software solutions, including Platform LSF, MultiCluster, and JobScheduler, available for Linux on the zSeries mainframe, Platform and IBM can integrate heterogeneous systems into one virtualized infrastructure, optimizing Intel-based xSeries, POWER4 based pSeries, and Linux systems on IBM mainframes. "By making Platform Grid software available on the Linux for zSeries, we can integrate the mainframe into an Enterprise Grid," said Paul Hill, vice president, business development, Platform Computing. "Platform technology gives multiple groups of users the opportunity to access the zSeries from different departments and geographical locations across an Enterprise Grid, increasing capability and capacity computing. In addition, we can facilitate business process automation across the Grid by integrating compute and data flows that span zSeries and non-zSeries systems." By enabling Enterprise Grid computing for Linux on the zSeries, Platform and IBM can support server consolidation and simplify Grid deployments through reduced administration and improved manageability. Platform's job management software maximizes performance and optimizes the usage of heterogeneous resources, integrating the zSeries, pSeries, xSeries, and non-IBM systems for improved management. Enterprise Grids are distributed systems that support large scale, multi-location enterprises that want to share their resources, improve internal collaboration, and get better return from their IT investments. "The introduction of Platform Computing's grid-based applications on the eServer zSeries marks an important milestone in the evolution of the IBM mainframe as a truly open system," said Rich Lechner, vice president, IBM Enterprise Servers. "The marriage of Platform's leading-edge middleware with the legendary strengths of the Server zSeries delivers a powerful combination for enterprises seeking to put the mainframe at the heart of their grid computing solutions." Platform is part of IBM's worldwide go-to-market Grid strategy and is the only grid software vendor whose products are included in all of IBM's ten solutions specific to aerospace, automotive, financial markets, government and life sciences. Platform and IBM have already had a number of customer successes in financial services, life sciences and manufacturing, including AstraZeneca, BASF, the France Telethon's "Decrypthon" project, and the Italian National Agency for New Technology, Energy and the Environment (ENEA). The three software solutions available for Linux on the IBM eServer Zseries mainframe include: Platform LSF, which provides on-demand access to an organization's global compute resources and balances workloads across the entire organization; Platform JobScheduler, which accelerates batch processing by integrating, automating and grid-enabling silos of applications, jobs and process flows across distributed computing clusters; and Platform MultiCluster, which allows enterprises to create a single, cohesive computing environment with easy-to-manage resource sharing policies across geographies. Platform's end-to-end Grid software solutions support all major Linux, Unix and Windows platforms and are the only production-ready, proven solutions that address the complexities of commercial Grid computing -- including heterogeneity, standards, security, workload management, data management, scalability, real-time functionality, and manageability-with the flexibility to integrate with other computer hardware and software technologies.