IBM Power & AIX Support Services for NHS Trusts

Supporting NHS Trusts Running Critical Applications on IBM Power & AIX

Over recent months, we have seen a clear and consistent pattern across NHS Trusts in the UK. Many organisations have invested in clinically important applications systems that support diagnostics, patient flow, pharmacy, pathology, imaging and wider hospital operations. These platforms deliver significant value and often handle sensitive patient data.

However, many of these applications run on an underlying technology platform that internal IT teams are less familiar with:
IBM Power Systems running AIX.

AIX is highly stable, extremely secure and trusted globally for mission-critical workloads. But the specialised skills needed to maintain the infrastructure that hosts these applications the IBM Power hardware, AIX operating system, PowerVM virtualisation and related components are increasingly hard to find within the NHS.

As a result, Trusts are now actively searching for AIX support, IBM Power system administration, and specialist remote assistance to supplement their existing IT operations.
Baby Blue IT Consulting provides this support, helping NHS teams maintain the reliability, security and lifecycle currency of their IBM Power environments.

Why NHS Trusts Are Seeking External AIX Support

1. Critical applications rely on a stable underlying platform

While NHS applications themselves may be vendor-supported, their performance and availability depend on the health of the IBM Power and AIX infrastructure beneath them. Any issues at the OS, firmware or virtualisation layer can directly affect service continuity.

2. Internal AIX expertise is limited or unavailable

Many Trusts tell us the same story:

• “Our only UNIX engineer is retiring.”
• “We have an application running on AIX, but no one really understands the platform.”
• “We can’t justify hiring a full-time AIX specialist.”

3. Maintaining AIX securely requires specialist knowledge

AIX and IBM Power remain exceptionally robust, but only when lifecycle-managed correctly. That includes:

• Regular TL/SP patching
• Firmware and machine code updates
• PowerVM configuration and tuning
• Backup validation
• Security hardening and vulnerability remediation
• Proactive monitoring

These are specialist tasks that generalist teams often struggle to cover.

4. OEM support covers hardware - not system administration

IBM hardware maintenance is essential, but it does not include:

• AIX patching
• PowerVM/VIO server management
• Backup checks
• High availability (PowerHA) validation
• Security configuration reviews

This gap becomes critical when an issue arises at the OS or virtualisation layer.

Understanding the IBM Power & AIX Platform

A typical NHS deployment includes:

• IBM Power System hardware
• The AIX operating system
• Internal disks and external SAN storage
• Fibre channel switches
• HMC (Hardware Management Console)
• PowerVM virtualisation (LPARs, VIO servers)
• Optional PowerHA high-availability components

Baby Blue helps ensure these infrastructure components remain secure, maintained and aligned with IBM best practice enabling Trusts to focus on the application layer while we support the platform beneath it.

Our AIX Support Services (Summarised)

AIX Operating System Updates & Patching

We keep AIX secure and compliant through structured six-monthly TL/SP updates, compatibility checks with application vendors, and planned OS upgrades every 24 months.

PowerHA for AIX – High-Availability Assurance

We validate PowerHA configurations, produce operational documentation, support annual DR/failover testing, and assist with deployments where clustering is required but not yet implemented.

Backup & Security Audit

An annual review of your backup processes and system security, including retention checks, access reviews, patching status and vulnerability identification. Includes three days of on-call support for audit findings.

Ad-Hoc Remote Support

Flexible access to AIX and IBM Power experts via 24 support units for remote troubleshooting across AIX, PowerVM, PowerHA and platform security. Available in business hours or with 24×7 coverage.

Monitoring & Automated Health Checks

Automated alerts for filesystem usage, CPU/memory thresholds, backup status, error logs and network connectivity with optional escalation to full incident management.

Full Managed AIX System Administration

A complete outsourced platform administration service including monitoring, incident response, patching, firmware updates, PowerVM/VIO management, backup validation and vendor coordination. Available Monday–Friday or 24×7.

Why NHS Trusts Choose Baby Blue

• Deep expertise in IBM Power Systems, AIX, PowerVM and PowerHA
• Proven experience supporting the platform infrastructure underpinning NHS applications
• UK-based delivery aligned to NHS governance and security requirements
• Modular services designed to complement your internal teams
• Focus on platform resilience, lifecycle management and operational stability

If Your Trust Runs a Critical Application on AIX, We Can Support the Platform Behind It.

If you're searching for:

• AIX infrastructure support for NHS Trusts
• IBM Power system administration
• AIX managed services
• PowerHA platform support
• AIX patching and lifecycle management

Then you're exactly the type of organisation we help every day.

Speak to Us About Your AIX Environment

We’ll review your current platform configuration, identify operational or lifecycle risks, and provide a support model that keeps the infrastructure behind your clinical applications reliable, secure and available.