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points by jains99 4 days ago | 0 comments

But hardware to run them is conveniently something IBM would be happy to sell you.

I didn't think that IBM had gear that mortals would want to run. If you're not running a mainframe, what do they have to sell you? They still sell Power servers and it looks like they have an AI card that can be used on both. But, if we're talking about the IBM CEO talking about on-premises, what are they really talking about hardware-wise? It's not something they would sell, is it?

This is more of a statement for their consulting customers, right?

[–] jhickok 3 days ago

My guess is if you want to run AI on prem and do it with IBM gear it would be via their x86 servers + OpenShift AI via IBM Fusion HCI.

[–] mbreese 3 days ago

I didn’t think they still sold x86 servers.

I can picture that they’d have the software side sorted out with RedHat. But I don’t know what hardware they’d push to support local on-premises models. It looks like when you buy Fusion HCI, you can choose from Dell or Lenovo as the underlying hardware supplier.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

If IBM would ship a piece of affordable hardware that can run large LLMs efficiently I'd be lining up.

[–] solyin 4 days ago

"Affordable" and "IBM" don't belong in the same sentence together, but they're happy to sell you their inference-capable hardware if you've got the wallet for it.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

I don't agree with that. They made the PC revolution possible by making hardware that was at least affordable enough to be bought by a large number of businesses and individuals. It also set the stage for the clone market. I'm pretty sure that if IBM really set their mind to it that they could do this.

That doesn't detract from your overall point that they tend to make overpriced stuff, but I don't think they have to do that. Besides, what's overpriced? NVidia's GB300 workstation sells for 95K euros, a single RTX 6000 is now 20K. Surely even IBM can compete at that level.

[–] rnd0 4 days ago

That was completely accidental and they themselves tried to close the barn door with the PS/2 line in 1987 but at that point it was too late.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

True, even so: They still make some pretty impressive hardware. They have access to fab capacity, they know how to make chips. They have the capital. If they really wanted they could do it.

[–] Shocka1 2 days ago

As someone who worked for the big blue not that long ago I would agree that they have the capability. The top heavy C-suite might have to get over themselves and their buzzwords and actually try to create something besides an arbitrary EPS though. I wouldn't recommend holding one's breath.

[–] solyin 4 days ago

In what way is the IBM Spyre not what you're asking for?

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

In a way it is, but I would see that as a starting point, not as the ready solution. They'd need to do what NV has done for their eco-system: fantastic libraries, a credible future upgrade path, easy ordering, manufacturing partnerships, the works. I figure besides the performance gap that they are at least 5 to 10 years behind NV with their present offering. But NVidia is dropping stitches and IBM should take advantage of that.

I think IBM sees the Spyre as a reason to sell more Power hardware but that's just not where the industry is right now and I doubt it will be enough to create sufficient demand. Who knows, I don't have any insight in what they're doing there, but there is massive gap between A GB300 workstation and what IBM currently offers. At the same time: the RAM crunch hits all parties and that's a major obstacle as well.

[–] exac 4 days ago

Respectfully, those people don't work at IBM anymore. The organizational memory doesn't last that long.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

You'd think that with a 250K workforce and an active line of hardware including an AI accelerator that those people are still working there. I could be wrong, but someone has to be doing that work unless IBM in turn outsources it.

[–] quailfarmer 4 days ago

They haven’t been _that_ IBM for decades

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

I know. But: they have gobs of money, they still have some talent, they still have a hardware department that I'm pretty sure would jump at a chance to give NV a run for their money. This would require a massive long term investment and a commitment that I'm not sure they would have the stomach for.

[–] alienbaby 4 days ago

"they have gobs of money, "

They do? They are a spec in the ocean relative to big players offering inference and training their own models. Pretty sure one thing they are struggling with is the money to compete successfully in the ai game this time around.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

10 billion give or take, market cap 250 billion, 250K employees. That's not a 'spec in the ocean' by normal standards, and IBM is a mature company, not an inflated balloon.

[–] j16sdiz 4 days ago

It's the "PC-compatible" hardware make those affordable, not PC.

[–] dansquizsoft 4 days ago

> They made the PC revolution possible

Yeah they were only half a decade late to the PC revolution back in the day...

[–] wmf 4 days ago

They weren't really late. In many people's minds IBM validated the concept of the PC.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

When that happened I'd been working at Tandy (EU version of Radio Shack) for a while and even though we sold computers they were not taken serious until IBM came along and then suddenly we couldn't supply them fast enough.

[–] spopejoy 4 days ago

Was Tandy only EU? In the TRS-80 days the name came up a lot, although maybe just because of the acronym ... 6809E was a good time

[–] numpad0 4 days ago

Yes but unironically? IBM should be what NVIDIA would be competing with their NVL72 and DGX products. It doesn't make sense that IBM is just watching NVIDIA take its lunch.

[–] verdverm 4 days ago

> It doesn't make sense that IBM is just watching NVIDIA take its lunch.

If you have ever worked at IBM, it makes total sense. Completely dysfunctional middle management and on up.

[–] jacquesm 4 days ago

I think they will need a far more aggressive management before such a thing could happen. But I can dream about it.

[–] anukin 4 days ago

Not till Jensen buys his next leather jacket.