IBM has launched a new initiative that will provide universities with free access to a range of emerging technologies developed in IBM's Research and Development labs. The goal of the new "Academic License" programme is to help train, educate and accelerate development skills around open standards-based technologies. As a result, university professors can use the technologies to build course curriculum, while providing students a competitive advantage in the workforce. In return, faculty and students will also provide IBM with feedback on how to improve these technologies before inclusion into future IBM products.

The Hierarchical Data Format group is spinning off from the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) as a non-profit corporation supporting open source software and non-proprietary data formats.

The BioSciences Group of Fujitsu Computer Systems has unveiled a new technique for generating enhanced predictions for ADME/Tox research, consisting of a unique docking-based approach combined with off-the-shelf and purpose-built technologies, to develop viable and effective predictive models. The new approach was developed with a commercial collaborator focusing on drug-resistant infectious diseases and cancer.

Wolfram Research announces Mathematica 5.2, the 64-bit multicore release and the latest version of the world-renowned science and technology software system Mathematica. Hot on the heels of Mathematica 5.1, itself released just eight months ago, 5.2 brings 64-bit technology to all supported platforms-an industry first. More than 4.3GB of memory (the 32-bit address limit) can now be addressed, and high-precision or large numbers are processed in 64-bit rather than 32-bit digit chunks for faster computation.

This year, SC 05 will be hosting its sixth annual Bandwidth Challenge in Seattle, Washington on November 12-18, 2005. This contest serves to challenge scientists and networking engineers to create the best and most advanced techniques for utilizing vast amounts of data and showcasing it on advanced networks. The key to this bandwidth challenge is to display the data via a meaningful application.

Psychsoftpc has introduced the new Psychlone Cluster line of Beowulf supercomputers for Node Based Parallel Processing High Performance Computing (HPC) applications.

HP has introduced a high-end disk array at an entry-level price for computing environments that need 24 x 7 business continuity with zero downtime. The HP StorageWorks XP10000 Disk Array offers enterprise-class business continuity and advanced virtualization technology to businesses of all sizes. Additionally, new software for the HP StorageWorks XP family streamlines storage management, improves efficiencies and reduces costs.

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric LLC, and IBM are working together to explore broadband over power line (BPL) technology. CenterPoint Energy has opened a BPL technology centre at one of its facilities in Houston to examine uses of BPL technology for consumers as well as utility companies. In addition, CenterPoint Energy has launched a limited pilot programme designed to demonstrate the capabilities of BPL in the home to Houston-area consumers.

Sun Microsystems has made available the new Sun StorEdge 9985 system, a scaled-down version of the Sun StorEdge 9990 system, Sun's leading data-centre-class platform for large-scale consolidation and mission-critical data availability.

Sun Microsystems has selected Ipedo as a key component of its new Sun Connection service. Sun will use Ipedo's software to integrate information from distributed systems and manage an extensive knowledge base that includes configuration information from more than one million systems.