IBM has introduced the highest performance microprocessor in the computing industry with the launch of the Performance Optimisation with Enhanced RISC 2 (reduce-instruction set computing) (Power2) system.
The technology flows from IBM's involvement with Motorola and Apple in developing the single chip Power technology.
The Power2 microprocessor has extraordinary high performance, allowing a half billion operations per second.
It has nearly double the performance of IBM's existing Power-based RISC System/6000 models.
Power2 can run, without modification, the more than 6,500 existing software applications available for the AIX/6000, the operating system for the RISC System/6000.
Jeff Mason, IBM's general manager of worldwide marketing for its advanced workstations and systems division, said Power2 architecture would allow users a range of technically engineered workstations catering to needs from high volume, high performance applications to small business-based PCs.