INDUSTRY

Every June, many of the world’s leading experts in high-performance computing gather in Germany for the annual International Supercomputer Conference (ISC). ISC2006 will be held June 27-30 in Dresden, offering three days of presentations, exhibits and networking, in addition to three full-day tutorials. One of the highlights of ISC, now in its 21st year, is the “Hot Seat Session,” an afternoon of 17 short, to-the-point presentations by experts from HPC centers and providers of hardware, software, interconnects and solutions in Europe, Asia and North America. Each speaker has only 10 minutes to highlight the latest information about current developments, new products and strategies. Then, a specially selected panel of “inquisitors” follows up by posing two probing questions to the speaker. “What makes these sessions so popular and informative is the fact that the speakers have to be prepared to answer any question and quickly come up with a knowledgeable answer — all in front of an audience well versed in high performance computing,” said ISC2006 Conference Chairman Prof. Hans Werner Meuer of the University of Mannheim. “And because they only have 10 minutes, the presenters have to be succinct yet thorough in their answers.” The ISC2006 “Hot Seat Session” will be held the afternoon of Thursday, June 29. To see a schedule of who’s on the hot seat, go to: its Web site. Although advance registration for ISC2006 is now closed, registering before the conference begins will save attendees up to 100 Euros, compared to registering at the conference. As in the past, registration fees are structured to these categories: Regular, University, Government and Students. Complete registration information can be found at: its Web site. While registering for the conference, please book your hotel room for ISC2006. Hotel information is at: its Web site. ISC2006 will be held in Dresden, which celebrates its 800th anniversary in 2006. Designated as one of Germany’s “Cities of Science,” Dresden has a long history of technical innovation and is home to a growing number of high technology industries and research institutions. For more information about the conference, go to its Web site.