Tech City Firms Get Intel Supercomputer

Intel is offering a a high performance computing cluster, available free to use by small businesses in Tech City.

The cluster, which has a capacity of 2.25 teraflops, will be available on a one-to-one basis for small companies that would otherwise not have access to such technology, starting with Chatterbox Analytics, the only company currently using the service.

Playing with the big boys’ toys

Small businesses will be able use this facility how they want but, typically, these clusters are used for very large, compute-intensive tasks such as models, data analysis and prototyping, according to a statement.

“We are working closely with the Tech City Investment Organisation to identify companies that will most be able to benefit from this service, and although only one company is using the service now, we will be offering the cluster to at least five more companies soon, and expect participation from about 250 companies within a year,” Intel’s director of public affairs Tristan Wilkinson, told eWEEK Europe.

“Companies are demanding more and more computing power, this facility will enable young companies to get a competitive edge in the market by testing real world scenarios and developing new products faster,” he said.

Only one customer will be able to use the cluster at any one time to ensure maximum benefit and security. However, the project is in its very early stages and due to the sensitive nature of some of the research that may take place, the company was unable to say exactly how the time sharing would work.