New Computer From Hitachi Outpaces IBM

Japan’s Hitachi Ltd. unveiled a new computer that is faster than IBM’s biggest mainframes, although industry analysts say the Japanese company will not likely sell enough of them to challenge the U.S. giant’s lead.

Hitachi Data Systems, owned 80% by Hitachi Ltd. and 20% by General Motors Corp.’s Electronic Data Systems Inc., introduced, as expected, three new models of its HDS EX Series mainframe computers.

Two models, the EX 310 and EX 420, designed to meet increased computing capacities of the largest users of mainframe systems, will be shipped in the second quarter of 1991, Hitachi said.

Initial shipments of a third model, the EX 85, are slated for the fourth quarter of 1990.

“The 420 will offer one-third more performance than the current competition,” said James Balassone, Hitachi Data executive vice president-marketing, at the unveiling of the new high-end mainframe.

Mainframes are large-scale computers often used for large business applications.

Hitachi Data Systems’ new computers are expected to outperform International Business Machines Corp.’s current line, the 3090s, but analysts disagree over whether they will jostle IBM’s dominance of the $40-billion market.

“We expect Hitachi to leapfrog IBM,” said Bob Djurdjevic, an analyst at Annex Research.