ECONOMICS

An influential group of leaders in information technology from academia, business, and government have formed a new advisory group, called “TechConnect,”whose goal is to help mainstream Windows-based high-performance computing (HPC). The first meeting will be held in Sedona, Ariz., in March. Members of the new group, which will serve as an advisory group to the Cornell Theory Center (CTC), Intel, and Microsoft High-Performance Solutions Alliance, include the following: • Jay Boisseau, Director, Texas Advanced Computing Center • Pete Bradley, Associate Fellow, High Intensity Computing, Pratt & Whitney • Robert Brammer, VP & CTO, Northrop Grumman TASC • Bill Braymer, Director of Software Development, KLA-Tencor • Frederica Darema, Senior Science & Technology Advisor, NSF • J.S. Hurley, Sr. Manager, Distributed Systems Integration, The Boeing Company • Robert Means, Director, Fair Isaac Corporation • Manuel Peitsch, Global Head of Informatics and Knowledge Management, Novartis Institutes of BioMedical Research • Thomas Sterling, Faculty Associate, Center for Advanced Computing Research, Caltech • Russell Walker, Senior Technology Strategist, Capital One • Harel Weinstein, Chairman, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and Director, Institute for Computational Biomedicine Weill Cornell Medical College “We are very fortunate to have such a high caliber Advisory Council that has expertise in a cross-section of disciplines and industries,” said Thomas F. Coleman, Professor of Computer Science and Mathematics and Director of the Cornell Theory Center. “We expect the group to provide significant input into future Windows HPC directions.” TechConnect’s objectives include the following: • Provide a forum for IT decision-makers in academia, government, and business to share ideas and expectations with technical leaders and decision makers who can influence research and development in Windows-based HPC. • Solicit input on current implementations and future expectations for Intel/Windows HPC and high-end enterprise Web services. • Identify specific areas that need to be addressed in terms of Windows-based HPC to meet current and future needs in academia, government, and business.