IBM today announced that technology allowing IBM zEnterprise System users to integrate Microsoft Windows applications into the mainframe environment -- an industry first -- will become available on Dec. 16.

The new capability allows IBM's clients with multi-tier applications -- for example, Windows applications connected to mainframe data -- to be integrated and consolidated on the same system.

With today's announcement, IBM's clients can now run z/OS and Linux on System z along with IBM AIX, x86 Linux and Microsoft Windows on the zEnterprise System.

Specifically, the new technology provides centralized management, which offers a variety of money-saving benefits, such as faster and automated access to computing resources, reduced administration and lower training costs.

The new capability of consolidating and centralizing management of Windows applications on x86-based IBM System x servers will be available for either of the zEnterprise systems -- the z196 or z114.

Through a hybrid computing approach, that IBM introduced with the zEnterprise System in July 2010, select IBM System x blades and System x applications can be installed in a zEnterprise. No changes are required for the application, and integration and management of blades and applications are handled by the zEnterprise Unified Resource Manager, via a single console. The benefit is that the application servers can be physically and logically close to the data running on the mainframe.

The hybrid capability already had been available for managing IBM Power-based workloads with operating system support for AIX and System x-based workloads with Linux as well as a business analytics solution and a multi-functional appliance for System z (IBM Websphere DataPower XI50 for zEnterprise).