APPLICATIONS

With today's unveiling of new rack-mounted SGI Altix 330 server and SGI InfiniteStorage S330 storage array, Silicon Graphics also today announced it has successfully driven the price of its acclaimed high-performance server, visualization and storage solutions to unprecedented price points. The culmination of numerous aggressive product announcements since January, SGI today presents a complete portfolio of products made affordable for companies, research institutions, universities, and government users seeking departmental or workgroup server, storage and visualization solutions. "SGI systems have long been viewed as top-performing solutions that come at a premium price," said Earl Joseph, vice president of High Performance Technical Systems at IDC, who saw the mid-range High-Performance Technical Computing market grow by 47 percent in 2004. "But by leveraging its high-end architectures to distil mid-range, volume-priced models, SGI is establishing a significant differentiation point in a rapidly growing marketplace increasingly defined by commoditization." Additions to SGI's portfolio of lower-cost mid-range solutions announced today are: -- SGI Altix 330 server entry priced under $7,000 packs the performance of the fast Linux server a compact, high density chassis practically the size of a pizza box. -- SGI InfiniteStorage S330 storage array is entry priced at $12,599 -- high-end performance and functionality at less than half the price of previous SGI storage offerings. -- SGI Altix 350 mid-range server, unveiled in January 2004 with an entry price of $12,799 is the only midrange system purpose-built specifically for scientists, design engineers, researchers and other technical computing users. Existing offerings complementing the entry-level portfolio are: -- Silicon Graphics Prism deskside visualization system, with a starting price of less than $8,500, answers mounting demand for more visualization capability from Linux system users struggling with large data problems; -- SGI Altix 1350 factory integrated cluster is able to pack up to 32 Intel Itanium 2 processors into each compute node. With prices starting as low as $49,000 for a capability cluster, the Altix 1350 delivers leading price/performance, usability and flexibility to cluster users seeking true HPC performance. -- SGI Altix Hybrid Cluster a single, cohesive computing solution leverages the best of two distinct computing environments by adding superior 64-bit Altix performance to traditional 32-bit clusters. Altix Hybrid clusters begin at $3,200 per 2-processor node. Key to delivering SGI's latest mid-range products is a worldwide indirect sales channel. In May, SGI announced plans to aggressively expand its global channel distribution strategy and indirect sales model. This announcement included the launch of the new SGI Channel Connection program -- a robust sales, marketing, and technical support program that will enable channel partners to build mutually successful business opportunities in the low- to mid-range HPC market. "Today marks a watershed moment in SGI's history as all of our major product lines now have models that meet departmental and workgroup budgets while still delivering world-class HPC performance and exceptional value to customers," said Dave Gibson, director of Channels, Americas, SGI. "By working closely with our Channel Connection program members, we expect to create effective and profitable delivery strategies for these exciting new products."