IBM Power Systems vs Oracle SPARC Servers comparison

IBM and Oracle are both solutions in the Rack Servers category. IBM is ranked #4 with an average rating of 8.8, while Oracle is ranked #8 with an average rating of 8.0. IBM holds a 9.1% mindshare in Rack Servers, compared to Oracle’s 3.9% mindshare. Additionally, 97% of IBM users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 83% of Oracle users who would recommend it.

IBM Power Systems

Read 69 IBM Power Systems reviews

5,330 Views
3,813 Comparison Views

97% willing to recommend

Oracle SPARC Servers

Read 7 Oracle SPARC Servers reviews

2,347 Views
1,675 Comparison Views

83% willing to recommend

IBM Power Systems

Oracle SPARC Servers

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Dec 22, 2024

Oracle SPARC Servers and IBM Power Systems compete in the enterprise server market. IBM Power Systems shows a slight advantage due to its broader feature set and perceived value.

Features: Oracle SPARC Servers offer advanced RAS features, secure virtualization, and integration with Oracle Database. IBM Power Systems provide robust performance, scalability, and extensive support for open-source technologies.

Room for Improvement: Oracle SPARC Servers could simplify deployment to reduce complexity. Enhancements in open-source support and cloud integration might benefit customers. IBM Power Systems may improve in areas like streamlining updates, reducing initial costs, and expanding feature documentation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service: IBM Power Systems offer flexible deployment and strong customer service, supporting seamless integration. Oracle SPARC Servers also provide reliable support but require more technical expertise, potentially extending deployment timelines.

Pricing and ROI: Oracle SPARC Servers present a lower initial setup cost, appealing to budget-conscious buyers. IBM Power Systems, though demanding a higher upfront investment, deliver better long-term ROI through operational efficiency, justifying the initial expenditure.

To learn more, read our detailed IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers Report (Updated: January 2025).

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

January 2025

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Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IBM Power Systems

Ranking in Rack Servers

4th

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

8.5

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Oracle SPARC Servers

Ranking in Rack Servers

8th

Average Rating

8.2

Reviews Sentiment

8.0

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2025, in the Rack Servers category, the mindshare of IBM Power Systems is 9.1%, up from 8.8% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Oracle SPARC Servers is 3.9%, down from 4.0% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Rack Servers

Featured Reviews

Omobolaji Olaloku

Senior Enterprise System Engineer at Zenith-bank

Extremely stable, good ROI, and scalable

The most valuable feature of our machines is their ability to replace faulty parts without causing any downtime. Our servers are equipped with advanced technology, making it possible to replace defective parts without having to bring down the servers. This is crucial, as any disruption to our services would result in inconvenience to our customers. Therefore, being able to service the machines and replace parts without causing any downtime is highly beneficial.

Read full review

Abdul-Salam

Sr. Manager - System Analyst (Datacenter Infrastructure) at Sohar International

A rock-solid OS and rich virtualization features for hosting many VMs on one box

Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform. Oracle is focusing on the cloud platform with a PCA and standard x86 architecture. Linux is their other OS and is mostly in the cloud. We don't see much development happening on Solaris even though it came as an acquisition from Sun Microsystems. Eventually, the solution and its platform will die because there has been no new development on the Solaris end and we haven't seen new servers in the last five years. At this point, we are pretty sure there is no real roadmap or future for the solution. There is a shortage of expert engineers because Oracle is not pushing the technology. It is hard for us to find engineers because the number of people supporting us has considerably reduced.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features of the solution are disaster recovery, replication, and the ability to migrate to another location."

"Power runs our resilient data systems, our high-end databases, stuff that can't go down."

"The most valuable feature of IBM Power Systems is its performance."

"The SMT that they've improved has really helped open up boundaries for other applications that can use it."

"Some of the most valuable features are the processing power, stability, and security."

"IBM Power Systems are secure and have fast processing."

"Additionally, the processing power is far superior, especially with the RSA feature for reliability, serviceability, and availability."

"The most valuable feature of our machines is their ability to replace faulty parts without causing any downtime."

More IBM Power Systems pros

"The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers."

"The operating system is rock solid and the best I have ever used."

"The Oracle server is very powerful. They are more powerful and durable compared to Intel hardware. Which has been a benefit to our organization."

"Our customers are happy with many features in Oracle SPARC Servers, like the automatic ASR feature."

"The processor is very helpful and the licensing is very flexible."

"I have found the LDAP facilities most valuable. In addition, I like the CPU."

"The performance is the best feature."

Cons

"The number of times IBM refreshes its operating system appears to be very slow."

"I think IBM needs a little more work on managing the overall environment with eliminating Systems Director."

"I know lab services does a lot of work but systems, if they could include some kind of lab services and bundling of services to get you to the greatest and latest feature at the already included cost"

"The solution could improve the memory database for better integration with SAP HANA."

"Price and complexity related to the management of the solution are areas of concern in the solution where improvements are required."

"Software testing and the compatibility of software products that are available in the market should be addressed."

"Sometimes, the availability of additional services can be a challenge. Certain IBM software takes time to deliver to the client. It can be slow."

"IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems."

More IBM Power Systems cons

"Oracle SPARC Servers should be fine-tuned well enough to work with the other servers and software products in the market, as it is an area where Oracle SPARC Servers lack."

"They need some sort of modeling because IBM has different types of models."

"They have declared the end of life of the hardware."

"Like IBM, Oracle SPARC Servers should be able to run other open operating systems like Linux."

"I would like to see a reduced price point."

"The solution could improve by giving a clear roadmap about the future. I'm not seeing a lot of improvements on the OS side of the software. They need to work more on the operating system."

"Oracle doesn't have a good roadmap for the solution because they are moving to the x86 platform."

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The machine is good and has a comparatively good price."

"The pricing is reasonable."

"I give the cost a one out of ten."

"The price of the solution depends upon the configuration part of it. Based on what configuration you want to go for it, there is a range like IBM Power Systems POWER9 and IBM Power Systems Power10."

"It's more about the value you get for the price. Considering its stability and performance, the pricing is good."

"The licensing costs are okay. With IBM Power Systems, it's inclusive, so you can differentiate the price of the hardware from the software itself."

"IBM Power Systems is very expensive."

"It is designed for a large workload, as opposed to a small workload. For our circumstances, and even as an independent, I can't buy a Power system to experiment on. It can't happen. You cannot buy them."

More IBM Power Systems pricing and cost advice

"My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution."

"The hardware is expensive but it has very rich virtualization features that make it economical."

"Oracle SPARC Servers are expensive to manage, this is because after five years Oracle will increase the support charges for the hardware. The licensing policy for Oracle is different for Intel and Sparc. It will cost you less if you use your Oracle hardware with Oracle SPARC Servers."

"The licensing is flexible."

"The application running on it is very important to us and this makes the price worth it."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Financial Services Firm

18%

Computer Software Company

13%

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

25%

Computer Software Company

13%

Government

Manufacturing Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

Questions from the Community

What do you like most about IBM Power Systems?

IBM Power Systems provides very good performance and stability compared to other brands or processors.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IBM Power Systems?

IBM should provide a platform where users can learn about the storage and security of IBM Power Systems.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IBM Power Systems?

In my company, we use the system for the data center and our IBM Cloud Pak System.

See all answers

What do you like most about Oracle SPARC Servers?

The most valuable features of the solution stem from the fact that Oracle Database functions very well with Oracle SPARC Servers.

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Oracle SPARC Servers?

My company makes yearly payments toward the licensing costs attached to the solution. My company's clients, who have paid for the licensing costs attached to the solution, have also engaged with so...

See all answers

What needs improvement with Oracle SPARC Servers?

Oracle products are usually fine-tuned with the software of other Oracle products, like Oracle WebLogic Server Services, Oracle Database, and Oracle Core Banking Software and Solutions, as all the ...

See all answers

Comparisons

Intel Server System vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 46% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 18% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 12% of the time

Lenovo ThinkSystem Rack Servers vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 5% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs IBM Power Systems

Compared 2% of the time

More IBM Power Systems Competitors

Intel Server System vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 27% of the time

HPE ProLiant DL Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 11% of the time

Dell PowerEdge Rack Servers vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 11% of the time

HPE Apollo Systems vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 4% of the time

Dell PowerEdge FX vs Oracle SPARC Servers

Compared 4% of the time

More Oracle SPARC Servers Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems

February 2025

Download IBM Power Systems product report

Buyer's Guide

Rack Servers

February 2025

Download Oracle SPARC Servers product report

Also Known As

IBM OpenPOWER LC

No data available

Overview

IBM Power Systems are built to crush the most advanced data applications - from the mission-critical workloads you run today to the next generation of AI.

IBM

Oracle's SPARC S7, T7, and M7 Servers with always-on memory intrusion protection and comprehensive data encryption secure data with no performance penalty. Security in silicon features and Oracle Solaris protect data in memory from unauthorized access and stop malware before it gets in.

Oracle

Sample Customers

Cipher

University Hospitals Leuven, B&H Photo, Tuscon Electric Power, IS Nordic, Siemens

Buyer's Guide

IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

January 2025

Free Report: IBM Power Systems vs. Oracle SPARC Servers

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