IBM rolls out new mainframes

IBM is introducing a new line of mainframe computers the company calls its most powerful and technologically advanced ever.

IBM on Tuesday said its zEnterprise EC12 mainframe server is designed to help clients securely sift through massive amounts of data, meeting market demands in what is often called the age of "Big Data."

Mainframes are used by corporate clients ranging from banks to chain stores. IBM says the new model could be used by retailers to manage online transactions to analyze clients' buying habits and then use the information to create a "more customized shopping experience."

IBM says more than $1 billion was spent on research and development for the system, mostly in Poughkeepsie, about 40 miles north of its headquarters in Armonk in Westchester County.