Unisys is bucking the industry trend that declares the mainframe to be a dead end by introducing new models, including high-end systems using its own processor architecture alongside Intel-based mid-range models.

According to the firm, the new systems are designed to help customers build a flexible real-time infrastructure capable of coping with rapid changes in business requirements while reducing cost and complexity.

The new ClearPath Dorado 700 Series is the most powerful system ever to run the Unisys OS 2200 operating environment, the company said, boosting compute performance by 20 per cent and I/O performance by 200 per cent over the older Dorado 300 Series.

Each system can be configured with up to 32 Unisys CMOS processors, and supports up to eight independent partitions each with its own operating environment. Four complete systems can also be clustered together to provide extra capacity.

The Dorado 700 Series is designed for transaction processing, business-critical applications specifying continuous availability, and other enterprise computing tasks requiring high security, Unisys said.

In the new mid-range models, the ClearPath Dorado 4000 Series also runs OS 2200, while the Libra 4000 Series runs the MCP environment.

Both are based on quad-core Intel Xeon 7350 processors, but Unisys said that the new systems provide full application compatibility with earlier ClearPath models based on CMOS or Intel chips.

Both the Dorado 4000 and Libra 4000 systems can be fitted with a cryptographic co-processor for encrypting sensitive data, while The Libra 4000 can use a JProcessor to accelerate Java performance.

Unisys also provides a ClearPath ePortal for the Libra 4000, adding web services and mobile device support.

Metering is a key feature of the new mid-range models, enabling customers to meet peak periods of demand with maximum system capacity while minimising operating costs at other times.

Basic configurations of the high-end Dorado 700 Series mainframes are priced from $4.5m (£2.64m), while the Dorado 4000 Series models are priced from $498,000 (£293,000) and Libra 4000 Series from $750,000 (£441,000).