SCIENCE

SEOUL, KOREA -- IBM and the Korea Institute of Science Technology and Information (KISTI) today announced a $27 million agreement in which IBM will provide one of the world's most powerful supercomputers for use in Korea's life science and high performance computing research efforts. Capable of achieving 4.24 trillion calculations per second, the machine will be used for both natural and applied sciences such as life science, physics, chemistry and fluid mechanics (hydromechanics). Operating at that speed, calculations done by the machine in one second would take a human with a calculator 3.5 million years to finish. Incorporating IBM eServer(a) POWER4 technology, the machine will be among the 10 largest in the world when it is fully installed in early 2003. Its computing power will be shared with research and academic communities both inside and outside Korea. The first phase of the installation will be completed by the end of this year. POWER4 is the advanced microprocessor that powers the next generation of IBM eServer systems, scheduled to begin shipping later this year. To help KISTI play a key role within Korea's national supercomputer infrastructure, KISTI and IBM also have signed a memorandum of understanding that IBM will cooperate with KISTI in the building of the nation's Technical Support Center for High Performance Computing and Life Sciences. IBM will provide technical expertise and resources in cooperation with its global supercomputer research support centers. Some 15 IBM engineers will be assigned to the center, working with IBM's global technical support units. When the first phase of the installation is completed by the end of this year, more than 200 research organizations and government agencies, inside Korea and abroad, will be able to access the supercomputer. IBM will support joint research projects and coordinate various technological exchanges between KISTI and international institutions to further the sharing of technical expertise and information in the high performance computing arena. "I am sure that the high-capacity supercomputer system, when completed, will provide us with a springboard for improving domestic basic and application sciences plus research and development capabilities to meet world standards," said Mr. Young-Hwa Cho, President, KISTI. "Leveraging the support centers, we plan to use this system as a foundation to significantly improve national competitiveness in the latest research and development areas." Mr. Cho said IBM was selected to provide the supercomputer because of its experience in providing high capacity systems, its support capabilities and its commitment to continue developing the most technologically advanced and powerful supercomputers in the world. "The international trend is that more organizations recognize supercomputers as the foundation of competitiveness and are actively procuring them," said Mr. Chae-Chol Shin, President, IBM Korea. "We expect that the supply of supercomputers will contribute to developing the country's science and technology, which are the bedrock of national competitiveness. The technical support centers will be the catalyst that speeds the quality use of the high performance computing power." According to the company, today's announcement illustrates IBM's leadership in the supercomputing market. According to the TOP500 Supercomputer List, IBM systems account for 201 of the world's 500 most powerful high performance computers - more than any other vendor. The list was published in June 2001 by supercomputing experts Jack Dongarra from the University of Tennessee and Erich Strohmaier and Hans Meuer of the University of Mannheim (Germany). KISTI (www.kisti.re.kr) provides information research and analysis services on science and technology to support the technical competitiveness of Korean companies in domestic and International markets. It provides information on technology and patents, intellectual property rights, industry and market trends, and feasibility studies for new businesses. To help industries and research institutions acquire up-to-date information on science and technology, KISTI has been building up science and technology-related databases and providing access to them through its on-line network and the Internet. For additional information visit www.ibm.com