Or even more profitable MainFrame (Z Series) which is still growing
Revenues from the Systems and Technology segment totaled $4.3 billion for the quarter, down 26 percent from the fourth quarter of 2012. Systems and Technology pre-tax income was $0.2 billion, a decrease of $768 million.
Total systems revenues decreased 25 percent. Revenues from System z mainframe server products decreased 37 percent compared with the year-ago period. Total delivery of System z computing power, as measured in MIPS (millions of instructions per second), decreased 26 percent versus the prior year. Revenues from Power Systems decreased 31 percent compared with the 2012 period. Revenues from System x decreased 16 percent. Revenues from System Storage decreased 13 percent. Revenues from Microelectronics OEM decreased 33 percent.
To the extent everyone is moving to UNIX(TM) derivatives or using them exclusively in startups (OK, let's not forget Windows too), few learn at school System z and i stuff....
Well, I don't think much of the consulting business, but it's clear they had to do something, especially when pretty much everyone lost out to x86 for "big iron" in classic disruptive innovation style and as this move demonstrates they culturally can't compete in that market.
I could replace half my data center with a POWER box and manage the other half with it. Amazing machine if you ignore licensing...
http://www.amazon.com/The-Silverlake-Project-Transformation-...
the installed number of those three is immense and in many organizations most people would never suspect.
Their core banking stuff, which powers the $600 million capitalization local bank I use, is System i (AS/400) based as I understand it.
But you have to be in Al-Qaeda to be able to afford it.