DENVER, Colo., Sept. 15 — International Data Corporation (IDC) today announced that it held the first public panel of speakers from designated lead agencies for the recently announced National Strategic Computing Initiative (NSCI). The panel took place at the September 10-12 High Performance Computing (HPC) User Forum meeting held in Denver.
During the panel, key objectives, budgets, technology goals, industry collaboration, and issues of governance were all discussed by government officials that helped draft the executive order signed by President Obama on July 29, along with other government representatives tasked with turning the vision into an actionable program. Attending the forum were senior HPC community representatives from academia, industry, and government, all interested in understanding the potential opportunities and challenges this initiative will present for their organizations and for the future of HPC development.
“We are getting a lot of interest from industry as they try to figure out exactly how they can connect into the effort,” said Bob Sorensen, the IDC Research Vice President for HPC who introduced and moderated the two-part panel session. Created by a Presidential Executive Order, the NSCI is an expansive plan to accelerate and coordinate the U.S. march towards exascale and advanced computing.
The first session examined U.S. plans for advancing HPC and the technological, industrial, and economic implications of the NSCI initiative. Speaking in this session were Randy Bryant from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy; Irene Qualters, National Science Foundation; Will Koella, Department of Defense; and Doug Kothe from DOE’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The second session featured speakers from national laboratories and centers, including Bill Kramer (National Center for Supercomputing Applications); Rob Leland (Sandia National Laboratory); Bert Still (Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory); Nathan Baker (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory); and Piyush Mehrotra (NASA Advanced Supercomputing Division). Following the presentations, the floor was opened for Q&A with audience members.
“The executive order authorizing the NSCI calls for the accelerated delivery of an exascale-class computer that is about 100 times more powerful than today’s most powerful supercomputers and to extend the benefits of this technology both to scientific discovery and economic competitiveness,” according to Sorensen. “The speakers were optimistic that the new initiative could help to ensure American leadership in high performance computing.” He added that research studies by IDC and others have firmly established the link between HPC use and innovation in science and industry. “That’s why the U.S. is in a race for supercomputing leadership with other nations.”
The National Strategic Computing Initiative was given 90 days from the date of the executive order to create an implementation plan, which should be ready in October. Although there is no completion date for the effort long-term, the group is expected to update the plan with their progress annually for the next five years.
About the HPC User Forum
The HPC User Forum, which was established in 1999 to promote the health of the global HPC industry, help launch new collaborations, and address issues of common concern to users. The organization has grown to over 150 members and is directed by a volunteer steering committee of users from government, industry and academia, and is operated for the users by market analyst firm IDC.
About IDC
International Data Corporation (IDC) is the premier global provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets. With more than 1,100 analysts worldwide, IDC offers global, regional, and local expertise on technology and industry opportunities and trends in over 110 countries. IDC’s analysis and insight helps IT professionals, business executives, and the investment community to make fact-based technology decisions and to achieve their key business objectives. Founded in 1964, IDC is a subsidiary of IDG, the world’s leading technology media, research, and events company. To learn more about IDC, please visit www.idc.com. Follow IDC on Twitter at @IDC.
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Source: IDC