The new series of servers launched are in z, p, i and x series with some of them having the robustness to support more than one operating system, Mr Edward Orange, director, marketing and strategy with IBM Asia Pacific told a press conference here.

Servers in the z series have been described as the most reliable, mission critical data and transaction server, while the ones in p series have been counted as technologically advanced UNIX server. Server in the i series are high performance, intergrated business server for mid-market companies.

Those in the x series are affordable, Linux ready, Intel-based server with mainframe inspired reliability technologies.

eServer launch is expected to place IBM in a stronger position from the current level where it commands leadership. According to IDC study, IBM shipped servers for $36.12 million during the first half of 2000 in India - an increase of 93.8 per cent against the same period previous year. However, IBM officials were tight lipped about the share of market it planned to capture in India or the projected figures on its server revenue.

The new IBM server is a product of "Project Mach 1", a major cross-company initiative begun three years ago to harness the company's best technologies and practices to support the infrastructure for the next phase of e-business."With Project Mach 1, IBM researchers set out to determine what kind of computing model could handle serious e-business", said Mr Tony Ho director of Personal Systems Group, IBM South Asia. By 2003, IBM estimated there will be 2.6 billion network access devices, including cell phones and other similar devices.