{
  "name": "IBM Power Annualized Ownership Cost Dataset",
  "updated_at": "2026-08-15",
  "methodology_note": "Modeled for a representative mid-size single-partition IBM i workload landing in the P10 tier, amortizing hardware acquisition over a 5-year hold, adding IBM's published hardware maintenance baseline of approximately 15% of hardware purchase price per year (per IBM's Power Cost Estimator methodology, with IBM having raised maintenance pricing in 2024-2025), plus P10-tier IBM i subscription software. This is a scenario model to illustrate relative ownership cost shape across generations, not a quote for any specific configuration.",
  "assumptions": [
    "5-year hold period, hardware cost amortized straight-line",
    "Annual hardware maintenance at ~15% of acquisition price (IBM Power Cost Estimator baseline)",
    "IBM i P10-tier subscription software cost held constant across generations at the published per-core rate",
    "Acquisition price uses the entry-to-mid range midpoint from the Hardware Pricing dataset for each generation",
    "Excludes services/labor, storage expansion, and networking, which are workload-specific"
  ],
  "table": {
    "caption": "Modeled 5-year annualized ownership cost by generation (representative mid-size P10 workload)",
    "headers": ["Generation", "Amortized Hardware ($/yr)", "Maintenance ($/yr, ~15%)", "IBM i P10 Software ($/yr)", "Modeled Total ($/yr)"],
    "rows": [
      ["Power8", "~$500", "~$375", "~$8,925/core (tier rate, more cores needed)", "Highest effective total once extra core licensing is factored in, despite the lowest hardware line"],
      ["Power9", "~$1,700", "~$1,275", "~$8,925/core (tier rate, moderate core count)", "Lowest modeled total in this scenario ... the current sweet spot for a defined, shorter runway"],
      ["Power10", "~$4,300", "~$3,225", "~$8,925/core (tier rate, fewer cores needed)", "Close second; the gap to Power9 narrows further once RUL and support risk are weighed in, not just this year's cash cost"],
      ["Power11", "~$7,600", "~$5,700", "~$8,925/core (tier rate, fewest cores needed)", "Highest modeled cash total ... newest hardware carries the highest amortized and maintenance load even with the best per-core software efficiency"]
    ],
    "footnote": "IBM i software cost is held at the same published per-core rate across rows to isolate the hardware and maintenance delta; in practice a newer generation needing fewer cores to clear the same tier lowers this line further than shown here. See IBM i Tier Economics for that effect in isolation."
  },
  "sources": [
    "https://www.ibm.com/it-infrastructure/power/resources/tools/power-cost-estimator/scenario1_result.html",
    "https://www.itjungle.com/2025/06/16/now-ibm-is-jacking-up-hardware-maintenance-prices/",
    "https://www.itjungle.com/2024/11/04/ibm-hikes-hardware-software-and-services-prices/"
  ]
}