GOVERNMENT

SEATTLE -- Global supercomputer leader Cray Inc. today announced it has completed the sale of two interconnected Cray SX-6(tm) supercomputers to the University of Toronto. Financial terms were not disclosed. The Cray SX-6 systems will support University of Toronto research related to the Earth's interior and atmosphere. Specific projects include modeling the Earth's magnetic field; simulating ice age development and the accompanying variations in sea level; enhancing a coupled atmosphere-ocean-ice-land climate model; simulating the distribution of methane and carbon monoxide in the troposphere; and modeling the thermal convection process within the Earth's mantle, which causes plate tectonics. "The Cray SX-6 system is ideal for the large-scale calculations we need to make to advance our science, and we are excited about the opportunities it makes available to do innovative and ground-breaking studies," says Pekka Sinervo, professor of physics and vice-dean, Research Infrastructure and Graduate Education in the Faculty of Arts and Science. "And we have been very impressed with the ability of the Cray and NEC partnership to deliver and commission the system." "We are pleased to have completed the sale of these Cray SX-6 supercomputers to the University of Toronto," said Jim Rottsolk, Cray chairman and chief executive officer. "We have exclusive rights to distribute the rebranded NEC supercomputer line in North America, and non-exclusive distribution rights in most other areas of the world. The SX-6 system is the world's most recent high-end, high-bandwidth vector supercomputer product line designed to serve industrial, academic and government customers. The world's most powerful supercomputer system, the Earth Simulator in Japan, is based on the same fundamental technology as the SX-6 system. We are pleased the University of Toronto will use this SX-6 system in climate simulations. This exciting technology is quickly gaining acceptance, and we anticipate a growing order backlog for SX-6 systems in coming months." About the University of Toronto Founded in 1827, the University of Toronto is Canada's largest and most research-intensive university. The university's Physics Department, which took delivery of the new Cray systems, focuses research and teaching in planetary physics, astrophysics, particle physics, condensed matter physics and quantum optics. Funding for these systems is being provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the Ontario Innovation Trust.