The Leading Source for Global News and Information Covering the Ecosystem of High Productivity Computing
October 15, 2008
Ferrari Takes Windows HPC Server for a Spin
Desk-side supercomputing is poised to revolutionise automotive design and engineering
MARANELLO, Italy, Oct. 15 -- Two of the most dynamic, high-performance companies in the world joined forces today when Ferrari SpA decided to use Microsoft Corp.'s newest high-performance computing (HPC) technology to push the boundaries of automotive engineering, design and development.
Ferrari's sport department is one of the first companies to test Microsoft's new high-performance computing system -- Windows HPC Server 2008. With broad industry support from its partners and customers, Microsoft is demonstrating the impact of high-performance computing in the automotive sector.
New technology in HPC can be an invaluable tool to help maximise efficiency, analyse risk and provide a lever for growth. Working in close collaboration, Microsoft and Ferrari have developed a high-performance solution for one of the most demanding industries. Windows HPC Server 2008 dramatically decreases deployment times, improving the ability for firms to bring new products to market.
"Ferrari is always looking for the most advanced technological solutions, and of course, the same applies for software and engineering," said Piergiorgio Grossi, head of information systems at Ferrari. "We are always focused on scouting new technologies that can give us a competitive advantage. Windows HPC Server 2008 is very promising, and the long-lasting collaboration with Ferrari will give directions to develop a fast, familiar, high-performance computing platform for our users, engineers and administrators."
"Companies have to be more efficient than ever with IT resources, but they also need to maintain their position in a competitive marketplace," said Chris Philips, general manager of the Windows Server and Solutions group at Microsoft. "They require HPC solutions that deploy quickly, integrate in a heterogeneous environment and scale from workstation to cluster."
"The launch of Windows HPC Server 2008 is just another step in our vision to drive HPC mainstream," said Bill Laing, corporate vice president of the Windows Server and Solutions group at Microsoft.
With the introduction of Windows HPC Server 2008, high-performance computing in the automotive industry is now poised to drive major improvements in the following:
- Speed to market.
- Predicting and preventing defects.
- Improving collaboration.
- Automating previously complex and arcane systems.
- Gathering real-time information from vehicles on the road.
The development of Windows HPC Server 2008 means that high-performance computing -- once confined to CIA code-breaking and Pentagon war games -- is about to become as readily available to auto designers and engineers as laptop programs. The automotive industry is entering a period of profound transformation, where high-performance computing capabilities will be at the desk-side of those who innovate and test consumer vehicles, rather than confined to just large, expensive and time-consuming centralised computer-room operations.
Microsoft is delivering HPC solutions to top-tier European businesses and institutions in the automotive, oil and gas, financial services, and academic sectors, taking on some of the biggest clusters and demonstrating the broad ecosystem of the platform. In addition, Microsoft is entering into partnerships with major providers in the supercomputing space, such as Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Cray Inc, Dell and HP.
Demand for HPC is being driven by a combination of increased performance in processors per compute node, low acquisition price per node, and the overall price and performance of compute clusters. These trends are driving new customers to adopt HPC to replace or supplement live, physical experiments with computer-simulated modelling, tests and analysis.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential. Web site: http://www.microsoft.com.
About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)
Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products and services in more than 139 countries and territories.
-----
Source: Microsoft Corp.
Sponsored Links
Interview: Appro CEO Shares HPC Vision
Appro CEO Daniel Kim provides a glimpse into Appro's vision and opportunities for its supercomputer and high-performance cluster solutions.
RSS Feeds
Feeds by Topic
- Applications
- Developer Tools
- Interconnects
- Middleware
- Networks
- Processors
- Storage
- Systems
- Visualization
Feeds by Industry
Feeds by Content Type
Feature Articles
Computed Tomography Software Taps Into NVIDIA GPUs
Minnesota-based North Star Imaging, a firm that specializes in industrial X-rays for nondestructive testing and analysis, is employing NVIDIA GPUs to accelerate 3D renderings in their CT (computed tomography) software. Julien Noel, the company's CT product manager, says the exceptional computational power afforded by CUDA and Tesla hardware is increasing customer productivity and transforming their workflow.
Read More...
The Next Big Thing in Humanities, Arts and Social Science Computing: 18thConnect
For the humanities scholar who may have only recently mastered library and archival finding aids beyond the archaic card catalog, the possibility of retrieving source materials at the flash of a keystroke (well maybe a few...) is very heady stuff.
Read More...
HPC Clouds -- Alto Cirrus or Cumulonimbus
The "cloud" model of exporting user workload and services to remote, distributed and virtual environments is emerging as a powerful computing paradigm. Yet, one domain that challenges this model in its characteristics and needs is high performance computing.
Read More...
Top Headlines
Dawning 6000 to Use Chinese-Made Loongson Processor
Nov 28 | People's Daily Online | Currently under development, the Dawning 6000 HPC system will be based on the Chinese-made "Loongson" microprocessor. Read more...
Can Supercomputers Help Save the Economy?
Nov 27 | Computerworld | The use of supercomputers to increase the industrial might of the U.S. has amounted to little more than an asterisk from a financial standpoint in both the federal budget and the economy as a whole. Read more...
IBM to Establish 'Collaboratory' in Dublin
Nov 26 | Science Business | IBM is getting ready to set up a supercomputing research “collaboratory” in Dublin, Ireland. Read more...
Texan Prof Sees Big Future for Graphene Storage
Nov 25 | The Register | A Rice University professor believes that his proposed graphene arrays could be many times denser and faster than existing storage tech, and they'd be more reliable too. Read more...
Super Micro Computer: A One-Man, or at Least One-Family, Powerhouse
Nov 24 | The New York Times | Server maker Super Micro Computer lives by two principles: give customers what they want, and do it as fast as humanly possible. Read more...
Multimedia
Video White Paper: Architecting a Better Network Storage Solution
BlueArc's Titan architecture represents an evolutionary step in file servers by creating a hardware-based file system that can scale bandwidth, IOPS, and overall data capacity well beyond conventional software-based devices. With its ability to virtualize a massive storage pool of up to four usable petabytes of tiered storage, Titan can scale with growing data requirements, offering a competitive advantage for businesses, researchers, or other enterprises seeking to better manage data growth while still ensuring optimal performance.
Newsletters
Stay informed! Subscribe to HPCwire email Newsletters.
Get updates and insights on the High Productivity Computing industry delivered driectly to your inbox.
HPC Job Bank
-
Sr. Systems Developer/Engineer
Ohio State University -
HPC System Administration Specialist
Argonne National Laboratory - Visit the HPCwire Job Bank
Featured Events
-
February 24-27, 2009
TradeTech Architecture 2009
London England
-
April 13-16, 2009
Symposium 2009: LEAN, CLEAN, and GREEN
New York , NY
USA