IBM Corp has reportedly put back launch of the forthcoming eight-way multiprocessor ES/9021 mainframe to next year: some analysts had been expecting the machine to be announced this month for immediate shipment. An IBM spokesman told Reuter that IBM had not committed itself to any announcement or delivery date for the eight-way, although it would be announced sometime next year. Reasons given for the delay differ, with some saying that IBM simply doesn’t need the machine at present because the six-processor is going so well, but others hearing that the company is having trouble tuning MVS over eight CPUs. News of the delay caused Salomon Brothers analyst John Jones to lower his 1992 and 1993 estimates on IBM to $6.20 a share from $6.73 and $8.90 from $9.00 for next year. He hears that delivery of the machine is being deferred to the second half of 1993 for technical reasons.
