Texas universities buy 56-processor SGI 2400

"The system supports an almost unlimited number of scenarios in which we can create and study hazardous conditions without any attendant human or environmental risks," said Texas Tech Chancellor John Montford. "We are a very ambitious university, with an ambitious plan in place, and the acquisition of the SGI 2400 server is a component of that plan. It is cutting-edge technology, and if you're going to be one of the top 100 research universities, you have to invest in the best infrastructure possible. We are pleased that SGI identifies with our desire to be among the best."

The SGI 2400 system, configured with two InfiniteReality2(TM) graphics pipelines, will support as many as 200 simultaneous users running real-time simulations and traditional batch processes. Besides the environmental research project, a wide array of programs in wind engineering, architecture, art/animation, haptic research, and virtually every department on campus will benefit from the SGI 2400 system. The university's work also includes projects intended to boost local industries.

"Visualization is crucial for scientific interpretation. It provides a tremendous marketing tool for showcasing our technology to investors and for communicating research results to our customers and the community," noted Dr. David Schmidly, vice president for Research, Graduate Studies, and Technology Transfer and dean of the Graduate School at Texas Tech.

Montford expects the SGI 2400 system to provide technical services essential to the economic redevelopment of west Texas and to help the university attract private sector as well as federally supported programs. "Our purchase of the SGI system has ignited the whole research community at Texas Tech," said Montford.