IBM announces new Rochester-built servers.

St. Paul, Minn. — I-B-M is introducing a new line of Rochester-built servers aimed at small to medium businesses.

The Series I server, designed and built in Rochester, will become the Power Systems server. This is a consolidation of two types of servers, Server I and p.

Company officials say the new Power Systems server will handle more applications and several platforms, like Unix and Linux in addition to I-B-M's own operating system.

The consolidation is an attempt by IBM to get a larger share of the small to medium sized business market. It's also expanding its software line.

While the product is based in Rochester, company officials did not comment on whether the launch could also lead to more jobs. Currently, roughly 45 hundred people are employed at IBM in Rochester.

Sea Stachura, Minnesota Public Radio News, Rochester. >