Low-end Sun servers get UltraSparc III

The company will bring its new UltraSparc III chip to the battle against Intel with a new entry-level server system.

Stephen Shankland principal writer

Stephen Shankland has been a reporter at CNET since 1998 and writes about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.

Expertise processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science Credentials

I've been covering the technology industry for 24 years and was a science writer for five years before that. I've got deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and other dee

See full bio

Stephen Shankland

Jan. 16, 2002 3:17 p.m. PT

Sun Microsystems will bring its new UltraSparc III chip into the battle against Intel on Monday with a new entry-level server system, the company said Friday.

The Palo Alto, Calif.-based company said it also would be releasing a new model as part of its Netra line, servers that are designed to meet telecommunications companies' stringent requirements, withstanding extreme heat, cold, smoke and other perils.

In a research note, investment brokerage Salomon Smith Barney said several lower-end UltraSparc III servers are in the works at Sun. Six of seven models now use the older UltraSparc II chip, but an upgrade, along with the new top-end Starcat server, could improve profit margins.

Salomon Smith Barney analyst John Jones predicted that information technology spending would pick up in mid-2002, roughly the same time as revenue from UltraSparc III systems will surpass that from UltraSparc II systems.

Sun promised its entry-level server would offer more computing power for less money than servers using the Windows operating system and Intel chips. These "Wintel" systems have been steadily encroaching on Sun's turf for years, but Sun has been able to stay ahead with systems that work better with the Internet.

But with sales to dot-coms and other Internet companies diminishing, Sun is scrambling to find business customers willing to pay the price for its prestigious systems. One of Sun's chief advantages, though, is the large base of software companies that support its computers.