IBM Announcement - IBM zEnterprise enhancements

This is a bit of a strange announcement : it's a collection of some System z enhancements : 'IBM zEnterprise enhancements (ZG13-0042)'. I'll give you the summary, so if anything interests you, then just check out the announcement for more details.

"Today's enhancements extend System z unique leadership attributes for improved integration, agility, and security. These include:
IBM® zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension (zBX) Model 003

• Improved flexibility with top exit I/O and power cabling

IBM zEnterprise BladeCenter Extension (zBX) Model 002

• Improved flexibility with the ability to dynamically add virtual storage to configurations for the IBM BladeCenter HX5 (7873)

IBM WebSphere DataPower Integration Appliance XI50 for zEnterprise ( DataPower XI50z) V5.0 firmware for zBX Model 003

• Increased governance with improvements to help control insight into your service-oriented architecture (SOA)
• Enhanced security by enforcement of security industry standards to Web 2.0 infrastructure and mobile applications
• Enhanced processing power with extended memory support

IBM System z Advanced Workload Analysis Reporter ( IBM zAware)

• Increased distance allowed between the IBM zAware host system and IBM zAware monitored clients
• Renaming of feature codes to improve clarity of ordering

Available now are the following items announced for first quarter 2013 in the IBM zEnterprise EC12 announcement:

• zBX Model 003 move from one IBM zEnterprise EC12 to another IBM zEnterprise EC12
• DataPower Blade remove or move from one zBX to another zBX

z/OS® support for these zEC12 functions is planned to be available by March 31, 2013:

• 2 GB pages, with the z/OS V1R13 RSM Enablement Offering web deliverable and the PTF for APAR OA40967
• Dynamic reconfiguration for Flash Express , with the z/OS V1R13 RSM Enablement Offering web deliverable and the PTF for APAR OA40968"

There's also a statement of direction that might be of interest to some people, but I just don't know how widely spread non-raised-floor System z servers are.

IBM plans to offer only Top Exit I/O Cabling and Top Exit with Power on future System z servers for non-raised-floor implementations. Bottom exit cabling (I/O and power) will no longer be offered or supported in non-raised-floor environments. Enterprises with non-raised-floor data centers should begin planning for top exit I/O cabling and top exit power cabling.

If I'm not mistaken that was already the case for the zEC12 but the z114 still offered both options. So, any successor to the z114 will only have top exit I/O and Power cabling.