Glossary

Power ISA

The reduced instruction set computer (RISC) architecture underlying every IBM Power processor generation, developed under OpenPOWER Foundation governance.

IBM's stated cross-generation philosophy is ISA continuity: existing IBM i and AIX software has run unchanged across every Power generation to date, including Power 10 to Power 11. No sourced signal suggests Power 12 breaks that pattern, though IBM has not made a Power 12-specific compatibility statement.

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