IBM Unveils 3 New Servers for Online Firms

IBM Corp. on Wednesday unveiled three new computers for running online businesses, using a performance-boosting copper-chip technology it believes can challenge rival Sun Microsystems Inc. in its core computer market.

The servers, which are computers that can carry out basic Web site tasks such as electronic commerce and traffic management, are a key to the catch-up strategy of the world’s largest computer maker, which was late to the Internet party.

IBM said the selling point for the new RS/6000 machines, the M80, F80 and H80, is the use of copper-chip technology, which executives cited as offering better performance for lower cost than rivals’ systems. IBM has credited the technology for the rebound in sales of its higher-priced, more powerful class of S80 servers.

Sun now dominates the market for so-called mid-range computers, which are defined by market research firm International Data Corp. as machines costing $100,000 to $1 million.

Although IBM classifies the new models as “mid-range,” two of IBM’s three new machines do not technically fit in the category.

Only the M80, which runs from two to eight processors, is priced within that range, starting at $67,995 and topping out at just under $200,000. The H80 starts at $21,995 and the F80 at $18,995.