VISUALIZATION

BEIJING, CHINA -- SGI (NYSE: SGI) today announced that it has contracted with the Beijing Planetarium to install an SGI® Onyx® visualization system connected to Zeiss Laser All-Dome projectors. The graphics supercomputing system will be the cornerstone of a new planetarium planned for installation at the revered institution, founded in 1957. This contract represents SGI Greater China's most significant win to date. SGI's digital planetarium solution offers the perfect combination of the latest breakthroughs in laser projection and SGI's high-end graphics, revolutionizing the use of digital technology to demonstrate astronomical phenomena. For this installation SGI is teamed with leading-edge projection technology provider Carl Zeiss, with which SGI has jointly marketed solutions that enable the projection of very-high-resolution real-time 3D graphics in planetariums since 2000. SGI's real-time graphics allow users to navigate through huge science data sets to create a different show for each performance, if desired. In this first-ever all-laser dome installation in the world, audiences will be able to enjoy an immersive, entertaining and educational experience. "SGI's strong consulting, fast response times and high standards for after-sales support represent a total solution that fully meets the needs of the Beijing Planetarium. After strict reviews, we chose SGI for its superior, high-end graphics technology," said a Beijing Planetarium expert/specialist. "Future space missions will generate massive amounts of visual data, all of which we will incorporate and bring to life, capturing the imagination of audiences by adding insight and inspiration to an educational experience." "SGI Onyx family systems provide real-time digital images for planetariums and science centers worldwide," added Stephen Lai, president, SGI Greater China. "We are delighted with this agreement between SGI and Beijing Planetarium, as it reinforces SGI's leadership position in the high-performance computing and visualization field. SGI has been at the forefront of technology for 20 years, and we hope to help China-based users and partners in the technical and creative markets achieve their goals. With our leading-edge products and services, SGI is helping China solve the next class of challenges."