Some of the differences include: The Support Element is the most direct and lowest level way to access a mainframe.

All preceding zSeries mainframes used a modified version of OS/2 with custom software to provide the interface.

The web-based nature means that there is no longer a difference between local console access and remote access, which means a remote user potentially has full control if authorized, allowing more flexibility for locating systems within data centers.

IBM refers to the new HMC as a "closed platform" which does not allow the user to install software or access the command line interface to increase security and stability.

It allows Linux systems running in an LPAR to re-IPL (reboot) themselves without operator intervention.

DB2, VSAM, and other data storage formats achieve greater I/O performance thanks to a new System z9 feature called a MIDAW.

The zAAP also enables integration of new Java based Web applications with core z/OS backend database environment for high performance, reliability, availability, and security.

The System z9 adds 128-Bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) to the list of hardware-based cryptographic algorithms.

Other hardware-boosted features include additional random number generation and SHA algorithms.

This specialized encryption hardware means System z9 potentially outperforms[citation needed] other platforms[which?]

In most configurations a System z9 can even manage this feat without any reduction in performance or capacity for the running applications.

In May 2006, IBM added 4 Gigabit FICON and FCP support to the System z9 for faster I/O to storage devices.

IBM also added a lower cost 2-port 4 Gbit FICON/FCP I/O adapter to the System z9 option list.

The IBM System z9 EC introduced the concept of separate pools for different types of specialty processor.

This greatly eases the tasking of managing and measuring the performance of the different processor types.

IBM is positioning the z9 BC as a midrange system with a low cost of acquisition with up to twice the performance of the z890.