IBM, Intel open Dubai Competence Centre for Industry-Standard High-Performance Computing

The project will make the latest HPC facilities, which focus on Intel x86-based HPC systems, available to businesses in the region enabling them to overcome the challenges presented by performance intensive applications that are critical to their day to day business.

Dr Christopher Cooper, Industry Systems Division Leader, IBM CEEMEA, said:

"The collaboration with Intel brings our latest industry-standard, Intel x86-based High Performance Computing to the Middle East adding real value to the regional business community."

High Performance Computing (HPC) is not a recent phenomenon having been used for a number of years to describe the use of a cluster of computers to run extremely performance intensive applications, delivering answers to complex scientific and mathematical problems within incredibly short times scales.

HPC has impacted today's world in a number of ways assisting in life sciences, financial services and scientific research amongst many other disciplines. Traditionally for academic researchers and vast enterprises, it is rapidly moving into the commercial mainstream as the powerful enablement of industry and commerce tapped by companies of all sizes, on all continents and in all industries comes to realisation. From weather modelling to traffic management to ground breaking medical research to oilfield mapping and the associated business imperatives for such industries, HPC is enabling companies to take the right steps to ensure their business remains competitive in the market place.

"The HPC partnership with IBM brings value to the private and public sector across the region delivering industry-standard HPC to the mainstream," said Tom Donnelly, Director of IBM Sales Region at Intel. "This pioneering step will enable companies in the region to overcome what have now become everyday computing challenges that previously hindered their businesses."

IBM's high performance computers have overcome some of the most challenging computational tasks facing business, education and scientific communities. In the past such systems were complex and expensive but due to the readily available HPC building blocks and tools, prices have become more competitive and as such companies that are in fields from manufacturing to telcos and from oil & gas to government have begun reaping the benefits of implementation.

Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company implemented an industry-standard HPC solution powered by IBM and Intel technology to meet food manufacturers' need for packaging solutions to supply ever growing consumer demand. Another customer that recently made the switch to HPC with IBM and Intel is UMEA University; one of Sweden's most comprehensive universities which is now able to explore groundbreaking research opportunities.