INDUSTRY

SGI Solutions Also to Be Offered by OrganixIT, Omega's Newly Launched Company Focusing on Digital and HD Media, Content Management and Video Security Markets: To offer universities, businesses, and government customers a higher level of compute power than ever before, Omega Technologies, Inc., a leading Montreal-based high-performance and enterprise computing reseller, has joined the SGI Channel Connection program as the SGI Elite Geo Channel Partner for the entire Province of Quebec. Elite Geo refers to partners whose specialty is synergistic with SGI's target markets within a specific geography, and has estimated annual sales of $2.5M. Providing hardware, virtual reality software and comprehensive IT solutions for over 12 years, Omega Technologies and their just-launched, digital media company, OrganixIT, will offer the complete line of highly scalable SGI Altix high performance compute and SGI Altix XE enterprise cluster systems, SGI InfiniteStorage arrays, and SGI digital media and content management products. SGI Professional Services will also be available, where needed, for integration and/or system design, in conjunction with Omega Technologies' large service organization. "There has never been a better time to do business with SGI than today," said Alexandre Le Bouthillier, Ph.D.c., chief executive officer, Omega Technologies. "SGI is the only company in the world that can scale up to the performance levels our customers need for continued scientific advances and financial growth, and meet their demands for highly scalable storage. We fill specific customer's needs rather than sell technology. SGI always approaches customers and asks 'What is the problem you need to solve?' Or, 'What exactly are you trying to accomplish?' And then they help the customer accomplish exactly what they want and need. Our philosophies mesh: we both want to sell a complete solution, not just a box, to the customer." Omega Technologies has long experience providing IT infrastructure solutions in the higher education and business markets, primarily in the enterprise space. SGI is a leading provider of high performance compute systems in the scientific/academic markets both in the United States and Canada. SGI technology is found throughout Canada at leading universities and is an important part of several provincial grid computing systems, enabling scientists and researchers to process and manage ever-expanding datasets for faster problem-solving and improve time to discovery. The combination of SGI HPC expertise in the sciences and Omega Technologies' experience on the enterprise side will open-up new opportunities for both companies, allowing Omega Technologies to address both markets with the Linux-based SGI Altix XE servers running Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors and SGI Altix HPC systems running Intel Itanium 2 processors, as well as scalable SGI InfiniteStorage technology. OrganixIT Omega Technologies has just launched OrganixIT, a company focused on providing compute and storage components to digital and HD media, content management and video security markets. With the addition of OrganixIT, the combined companies will have 45 employees and 11 PhD's in Information Technology and Operations Research to help customers reach the most complex goal. OrganixIT offers proven business solutions that propel enterprise in digital media and designs, implements and supports business continuity processes, including continuous operations, high availability and disaster recovery. Digital business solutions include intelligent video surveillance (including facial recognition and movement analysis), digital dynamic signage and management solutions for inventories, electronic documents, human resources and High Definition (HD) media. "With OrganixIT we saw a tremendous opportunity in partnering with SGI for the entire media business," said Paul Michalovic, Business Development Manager -- OrganixIT. "There is a good amount of production and post-production work that's on-going in Montreal, and post houses here have a reputation for their long experience in high-end post work. On any one typical project, several post houses are working on different parts of the film, such as one studio doing editing and another -- or several -- working on special effects. With the new SGI Altix cluster systems we can now go after areas like render farms. Then there's the whole storage infrastructure side for content management and repurposing content: that's an area where we're seeing more and more customer demand everywhere. With SGI's scalable storage and digital media management products, which are used at the absolutely top Hollywood facilities, we can go to customers and potential customers with a strong story and a strong solution." The company's focus on HD media includes holographic 3D monitors and high definition production and content creation, from post-production to TV broadcasting, to video game creation. With over two decades experience in digital media, broadcasting and digital content archive and management in leading Hollywood studios and broadcasters throughout the world, SGI technology couldn't be a better fit for OrganixIT. "There are a lot of synergies that will go a long way for the two organizations and we at SGI are very excited to partner with Omega Technologies," said Martin Pinard, president, SGI Canada. "SGI has had great success in Quebec universities on the research side, and Omega is more familiar with the enterprise side, the data warehousing segment, that we haven't touched at all until now. With Omega's background and their resources, they'll be able to cover deeper, larger areas than we at SGI have ever been able to before. They will be able to leverage their experience alongside SGI's high performance offerings in building their solutions for the media industry, sciences and government departments such as Hydro Quebec. This relationship is a win for Omega, SGI, and our joint customers alike."