Systems/Enterprise:
IBM EMBRACING THE BIG
PICTURE
Moving away from the traditional server-centric emphasis that has driven
high-performance computing, IBM announced recently that it is expanding its
high-performace team to more initimately encompass storage, software, and
services. To complete the package, the refigured high-performance group will
maintain closer relations with the research operations division.
The new Deep computing team, which is being headed up by IBM's Dave Turek,
who
most recently manned the helms of the technical computing areas for both grids
and Linux clusters, hopes to break the typical narrow-minded view of
high-performance computing apart to encompass the broader picture, thereby
paving the way for new integrated solutions that will possibly move the
industry on to its next iteration.
The Numbers
The last year has shown positive growth for IBM in the $4.7 billion
high-performance industry. In a recent IDC report, IBM was listed at number
two, just behing HO. However, while HP's showed a drop of 25% in sales, Big
Blue showed a positive growth of 28%, bringing IBM sales up to $1.33 billion,
just $250 million shy of HP's numbers. Sun Microsystems, trailing behind Big
Blue by about $400 million in sales, is also working feverishly to capture a
bigger chunk of the high-performance computing environment.
Hunting For New Customers
As the high-performace computing industry gets hit by the slump in the
economy, IBM is seeking to diversify its customer base by expanding beyond
some of the traditional buyers like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory,
where IBM is building the ASCI Purple and Blue Gene/L machines. Possible
expansions to drive new sales may include forays into life sciences, high-end
digital media, BI, and others.
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