PROCESSORS

Continuing to advance high-performance computing options for life science researchers, Optive Research Inc. today announced a broad strategic collaboration with HP focused on providing support for Optive's computer-assisted molecular discovery (CAMD) software optimized for use on HP hardware. The support includes Itanium 2-based HP Integrity servers running Linux as well as HP Tablet PCs and workstations. The relationship will provide customers of Optive's widely-used products with new ways to apply more computing power to solve scientific problems related to drug and agrochemical discovery. "Our vision of providing innovative solutions for cheminformatics and molecular design, with an eye towards greater attention to scientific detail, will require access to increasingly powerful, yet practical computing alternatives," said Brian Masek, director of Scientific R&D for Optive Research. "The Itanium platform, with its 64-bit architecture and its support for multiple operating systems, complements our vision by providing our customers and collaborators more options for utilizing our software." The collaboration between the companies also includes Optive providing support for HP's 32-bit and 64-bit Linux clusters and the promotion of HP Tablet PCs and workstations running Optive's Benchware(tm) line of MS Windows-based software for medicinal chemists. The companies are also planning a joint program through the HP and Intel Solution Centers in Mountain View, Calif., Grenoble, France, and Shanghai, China, enabling researchers to test drive HP's Itanium 2-based Linux clusters running a number of Optive's Discovery Engines, including EA-Inventor(tm), ProtoPlex(tm), and DiverseSolutions(tm). "Our agreement with Optive Research reflects HP's ongoing commitment to the life science industry and is another excellent example of the growing support for Itanium 2 as a serious research computing platform," said Winston Prather, vice president and general manager of the High Performance Technical Computing Division, HP. "Optive is an influential company in the life science and pharmaceutical markets with a reputation for quality and forward-looking research and development that complements HP's commitment to excellence in this important marketplace." Optive Research was formed last year by respected scientist, Prof. Robert S. Pearlman, who twenty-five years ago founded the Laboratory for the Development of Computer-Assisted Drug Discovery Software at the University of Texas at Austin. The company is a member of the HP Developer and Solutions Provider Program. Optive's products for computer-assisted molecular discovery are now in use at almost every major pharmaceutical company in the world.