The Aesthetics of the IBM z Door: A Love Letter to Big Iron Design
24 July 2025 - 1 Minute Read
You can keep your glass panels and RGB lighting. For me, nothing quite compares to the door of an IBM mainframe.
Since the z12, IBM has consistently delivered not just raw compute power but presence. These doors don’t just open to systems, they open to a legacy.
I’ve pulled together a visual timeline from z12 to z17 in the image carousel. It’s part admiration, part tradition because let’s be honest: some of us check the door before the datasheet.
About the Author
Chris Smith
Chris Smith is a sales leader and consultant with over 30 years of experience in IT managed services. With a background in IBM hardware maintenance, he transitioned from field engineer to sales and marketing director, creating the foundations for Blue Chip Cloud, which became the largest IBM Power Cloud globally at the time. Chris played a key role in the 2021 sale of Blue Chip and grew managed services revenue by 50%. He’s passionate about building customer relationships and has implemented Gap Selling by Keenan to drive sales performance. Now, Chris helps managed service providers and third-party maintenance businesses with growth planning and operational improvement.
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