TECHNOLOGY : CMS Enhancements Will Unveil a Line of Upgradeable PCs

CMS Enhancements Inc., a computer distributor and manufacturer of data storage products, has been struggling lately. It laid off about 150 employees--or 30% of its work force--in February, reorganized its top management and reported a $5.4-million loss for the six months ended Dec. 31.

But now company officials are talking about prospects for a rebound. A big step in that direction will be the unveiling this week of a new line of personal computers based on the Intel 486SX microchip. An unusual feature of the new computers is that they can be easily upgraded with a device that is compatible with various computer architectures.

The company has applied for a patent on a standardized design intended to speed the flow of data within a computer. Michael Rusert, director of marketing, said the computer family is upgradeable since it will be compatible with future processors now under design.

“The bad news about layoffs was unfortunate but necessary to retool for the 1990s,” Rusert said. “We believe this is the beginning of a technology surge at CMS.”

A year ago, CMS, faced with fierce competition and plummeting sales in its data storage business, decided to launch a line of computer systems in a joint venture with South Korea’s TriGem Corp.

But the computer line has been slow to catch on, accounting for less than 5% of the company’s sales last year. Rusert said he hopes CMS can increase computer sales to 25% by the end of the year.

Stephen G. Holmes, chief financial officer, cautioned that CMS is still financially ailing and may post further losses in 1992.

“With minimal bank debt, we have as good a chance as any to recover,” he said.