SYSTEMS

Sun Microsystems increased Latin America Server Unit Shipments by 38.5% in the First Quarter of 2003. Dell experienced the strongest growth rate in server shipments, as it grew 39.6 percent. The RISC server segment experienced an increase in units shipped of 19.4 percent, mostly by IBM and Sun Microsystems. "Lower levels of investment in technology in Venezuela and most countries in the region affected the Intel server segment of the market which, in turn, affected the entire market. In contrast, Brazil and Mexico showed slight gains, and Argentina experienced a partial recovery," said Lillian Alvarado, senior industry analyst covering servers for Gartner's Computing Platforms Latin America group. ”RISC servers have expanded their offerings, particularly in the lower end, and have become more competitive in terms of pricing," said Alvarado.