AUTOMOTIVE

While low-cost "white box" clusters have been a popular solution, many companies are finding a lack of timely support or nonexistent support after installation of these inexpensive point solutions. However, SGI is a complete workflow solution provider that offers deep application domain expertise in the overall solution, backed 100 percent by SGI's world-renowned customer service organization. "The SGI Altix XE system is not just a cluster solution," said Himanshu Misra, segment manager, engineering analysis, SGI. "While it is built around SGI's proven, high-performance server architecture, the differentiation comes from a combination of how it's integrated, how it works and how it drives improved productivity, all of which come from the in-depth application knowledge that resides in SGI's CAE team. We have the expertise and a decades-long history of reliably installing, integrating and servicing our products worldwide. As end-users attempt complex simulations involving multidisciplinary analysis, for example, SGI's ability to customize the workflow with the right mix of Altix XE and Altix servers and InfiniteStorage will be instrumental in enabling customers to maximize their IT investments." Industry-leading CAE independent software vendors (ISVs) applaud the SGI Altix XE cluster, which is based on the new Intel Xeon dual-core processor architecture, as this translates to the deployment of complete solutions to customers leveraging a combination of Altix XE, Altix, and InfiniteStorage. "LSTC and SGI have worked together for years to leverage top performance from SGI hardware and LSTC software to deliver benefits for LS-DYNA users. LSTC is excited to continue this work with SGI, building on the outstanding performance and scalability available today on the SGI Altix server platform, and expanding to include the new SGI Altix XE x86 cluster platform," said John O. Hallquist, President, LSTC. "In order to bring products to market faster, at lower costs, and with improved quality and reliability, global manufacturers are increasingly relying on the use of advanced enterprise simulation technologies and high performance computing," said Dr. Reza Sadeghi, vice president, product development, MSC.Software Corp. "The combination of SGI Altix, the new SGI Altix XE x86 cluster products and SGI InfiniteStorage for data-intensive environments along with MSC.Software's suite of enterprise simulation tools including MD Nastran, provide a complete, optimized environment for the design of complex engineered systems that require multidisciplinary analysis in a cost effective and timely manner." "Our customers continue to demand faster and more realistic simulation results, yet the increasing size and complexity of their models is driving demand for greater computing speed and power," said Ken Short, vice president of strategy and marketing, ABAQUS, Inc. "ABAQUS has been ahead of the curve in providing new methods and technology capable of replacing legacy applications, taking advantage of high-performance computing environments, and accelerating the prediction of real-world product behavior. We are excited to be able to leverage the performance improvements of the new SGI Altix XE x86 clusters to meet the product development demands of our customers." "The introduction of SGI's x86-based Altix XE systems offers SGI an expanded relevance in the CFD market segment. The STAR-CD and STAR-CCM+ customer installed base now has the flexibility to choose from a combination of SGI's Altix systems based on Xeon and Itanium microprocessors, depending on their computational needs," said Steve MacDonald, President of CD-adapco. "Hoff & Associates is excited to add the SGI Altix XE x86 cluster product to our High-Performance Compute Solutions offerings," said Dr. Curtis Hoff, President, Hoff & Associates, Inc. "Our customers' HPC requirements are continuously expanding and the combination of the new SGI Altix XE x86 cluster and the existing SGI Altix shared-memory systems and InfiniteStorage products provide the ultimate flexibility in designing our HPC Solutions. With 16 years of experience in the CAE industry, we have a unique ability to offer Turnkey Compute Solutions for CAE users and SGI's wide product offerings enable us to develop solutions with no compromises in value or performance." View a demonstration of the SGI Altix XE system at the Intel "Create.Build.Thrive." event at the Detroit Institute of Arts, in Detroit on June 27, 2006 (visit its Web site for more information). For more information about SGI Altix XE solutions visit its Web site or call 1-800-800-7441.