NEWS BRIEFS

Ontario, CANADA — Compaq Canada Inc. confirmed its continuing commitment to Canadian universities by announcing a significant upgrade to the Alpha Cluster supercomputer at the University of Calgary. The addition of more than 100 Alpha processors to the facility will greatly enhance its world-class computational and multimedia capabilities.

As part of the agreement, Compaq Canada also donated (CDN) $50,000 to the High Performance Computing Development Fund at the University.

The University of Calgary’s supercomputer harnesses the power of 132 Compaq Alpha processors and is valued at more than (CDN) $2.3 million. Installed in Compaq AlphaServers ES240 and DS20 systems and Compaq AlphaStation workstation systems running in a Compaq Tru64 UNIX operating system environment, the Alpha Cluster is the IT backbone for the Multimedia Advanced Computational Infrastructure (MACI) project that networks the power of computers at the Universities of Calgary, Alberta, Lethbridge and Manitoba. The MACI Cluster will enable Canadian researchers to gain access to leading edge computing capabilities to conduct their work. For example, the cluster is currently being used for drug modeling to help combat the problem of antibiotic-resistant organisms with a project simulating the interaction between multiple variations of molecules and peptides.

“The University of Calgary is excited about this expansion in our research and development capacity, which will enhance our leadership status in the field of scientific research,” says Dr. Terry White, President, the University of Calgary. “By being part of an innovative and energetic project like MACI, we will be even more competitive in attracting the best graduate students and in offering a world class environment for Canadian researchers.”

Supporting more than 20 departments throughout the University, including science and engineering, the initial Compaq Alpha cluster was installed in 1997 with 30 processors. The upgrade of the systems was completed in March 2000 and is connected to the other Western universities through NeteraNet, the world’s longest gigabit Ethernet.

“Traditionally, Canadian researchers have had to look outside Canada to be involved in a major supercomputer-based research environment,” says David Booth, President & Managing Director, Compaq Canada Inc. “Compaq Canada is pleased to be involved with an innovative project like MACI that will keep the best minds here in the country – as well as attract top researchers from around the world.

“The partnership with the University of Calgary is part of our commitment to Canadian universities to provide world-class computational facilities,” adds Mr. Booth. “With the installations at the Universities of Calgary and Western Ontario in London, our Alpha processors are providing computing environments for some of the best research minds in Canada.”

Organizational Backgrounds Set in one of Canada’s most dynamic cities, the University of Calgary is among the top 10 teaching and research institutions in the country. Those research strengths have established a strong global presence for the university. Founded in 1966, the U of C has 16 faculties with 25,000 full-time students, with a further 21,000 students in non-credit programs. The university is home to international students from 80 countries and its alumni now number 90,000 worldwide.

Compaq Canada Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Compaq Computer Corporation of Houston, Texas, markets NonStop eBusiness offerings comprised of hardware, software, solutions and services, including industry-leading enterprise computing solutions, fault-tolerant, business-critical solutions, enterprise and network storage products, commercial desktop and portable products, and consumer personal computers.

With headquarters and distribution facilities in Richmond Hill, Compaq Canada Inc. has 41 offices across Canada, including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Regina, Winnipeg, London, Mississauga, Markham, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Moncton, Halifax and St. John’s. With the exception of its larger scale technologies and services, Compaq products and services are sold and supported through a network of more than 3,800 marketing partners across the country.

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