IBM’s z Systems may have been around the block a few times, but with the help of IBM Research, the mainframe continues to incorporate the most advanced technology. The system has seen 130 percent growth over the past year, due in part to the z13, which contains more than 500 new, patented technologies, according to z Systems General Manager Ross Mauri.

Z leverages the power of Docker containers

The z13 also leverages the power of Docker containers. “The Docker container on z is scalable,” said Donna Dillenberger, IBM fellow for IBM Research. “You can put thousands of containers on z. We’re also making sure it’s secure.”

The z13 brings analytics and transactional data together, a combo that used to be taboo, according to theCUBE cohost Stu Miniman.

“In the past, your operational data was created on the z through an online transaction processing system. You cared about throughput and response time, but you didn’t want to do your queries and analytics there,” said Mauri. “You moved that off the platform. We put a lot of effort and innovation into the software and hardware over the past three years to make it so that you can run your OLPT system. You’re not going to affect response time. You can do large queries. And you can do what we call transaction analytics.”

On the tip of innnovation

As with z Systems, IBM Research continues to work to keep the company on the tip of innovation.

“Our goal is to transform our systems to not just compute, but provide insights,” said Dillenberger. “It’s not something that just does calculations. It’s something that helps you live a more fruitful life and helps our businesses prosper, as well.”

Watch the full interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE and theCUBE’s coverage of IBM Edge2015.