BRIEFLY: TECHNOLOGY : IBM to Introduce Server Computer for ISPs

IBM Corp., the No. 1 computer maker, will unveil a powerful server computer for Internet service providers, its first move to challenge Sun Microsystems Inc. in that market. The Netfinity 4000R, code-named Intimidator, will be just 1 1/2 inches thick, so it can be stacked with other servers in a small space, IBM said. The machine, which will be available this month, will cost $3,000 to $4,000 and will be powered by two Intel Corp. Pentium III processors. Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM and other computer makers have been targeting ISPs, whose business has surged as Internet use skyrockets. IBM’s new Netfinity machine running Intel processors and Microsoft Corp. Windows software is the first so-called Wintel machine by a major computer maker for the ISP market.

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