The cloud model is particularly effective for small- to mid-size companies. As Beth notes, this may not be such a good fit for companies with the resources to provide computer umph and sophisticated IT support. Which makes me scratch my head about the federal government embracing the cloud model.
I've got to believe this is more cost effective than buying time on HPC systems and much more cost effective than investing in on-site HPC, at least for most users. Automotive, aerospace, electronics and medical industries (to name a few) should benefit.
The security issue is obviously front and center with any form of cloud computing and while I think many of the issues are being ironed out, there are definitely holes and no complete guarantees that breaches won't occur. That said, the kind of HPC cloud service Altair is offering is likely aimed at companies that don't have the financial resources or the data center budgets to have their own HPC capabilities on site. As far as the Department of Defense or any sensitive government agency work, my guess is their HPC needs will not head to the cloud and remain tucked away in the university centers and government buildings where they are played out today.
I've said this before: cloud is inherently HPC-capable, because you're accessing scalable compute resources. So unless you're talking specifically about supporting apps running under HPC operating systems (like Windows HPC Server), then I submit that, yes, of course you have HPC capability in the cloud, assuming you're willing to pay for the cycles. That's not to critcize either Altair or IBM. As they say on the street, I'm just sayin'...
I believe this will be a very successful project if two factors in the impementation can be accommodated. The first will be ease of use. This is a very useful service and if it can be made easy to use then the benefits to the customers will be the very flexible licensing and capabilities that can be brought to bear.
The second factor is going to be cost. The service model is built on the convenience and cost savings of being able to obtain the capabilities in a cost effective manner compared to operating a similar service in house.
It seems a no brainer that if the above two factors are adeqautely addressed then the service offering is going to be a successful business venture. The customers will benefit and so will Altair.
Once the premise described above is accepted the effort should be directed to helping customers utilize the system and take advantage of the flexiblity offered. I would expect to see tutorials and examples of how this service can be utilized.
Beth, Are there any security concerns with "computing in the cloud?" It seems like whenever something likes thise comes up, we're assured it's 100 percent secure, and then we hear about someling like the RSA debacle, which was "under the cloud". Now it's "under the gun". Do you think, for example, that the US Defense Department would do high-speed computign in the cloud? I, for one, hope not.
Using almost 200 light-emitting diodes in the front and back of the new 2014 CTS, Cadillac designers are showing how LEDs can change the character of a vehicle.
We looked at a number of sources to determine this year's greenest cars, from KBB to automotive trade magazines to environmental organizations. These 14 cars emerged as being great at either stretching fuel or reducing carbon footprint.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 3
Early in my career, I worked as a draftsman and remember the days of drawing on vellum with numbered pencils and Mylar with plastic lead. This was a fun experience in the sense that I ...
I've been using workstations for more than 10 years and love finding ways to get more performance from my system. With demanding professional applications that require more power each ...
A lasting memory from my first job as an engineer in an auto assembly plant is standing on hard concrete at six in the morning, vending-machine coffee clutched in hand, listening to ...
A quick look into the merger of two powerhouse 3D printing OEMs and the new leader in rapid prototyping solutions, Stratasys. The industrial revolution is now led by 3D printing and engineers are given the opportunity to fully maximize their design capabilities, reduce their time-to-market and functionally test prototypes cheaper, faster and easier. Bruce Bradshaw, Director of Marketing in North America, will explore the large product offering and variety of materials that will help CAD designers articulate their product design with actual, physical prototypes. This broadcast will dive deep into technical information including application specific stories from real world customers and their experiences with 3D printing. 3D Printing is
To save this item to your list of favorite Design News content so you can find it later in your Profile page, click the "Save It" button next to the item.
If you found this interesting or useful, please use the links to the services below to share it with other readers. You will need a free account with each service to share an item via that service.
Tweet This
4 
