The human mind is capable of some amazing feats. Getting itself wrapped around huge amounts of data, however, is not one of its better feats. Super computers are the workhorses of “crunching” these massive amounts of data so that people can play more and understand better.
Cray Inc., one of the world’s first super computer manufacturers, works to offer governments and institutions computing solutions for increasingly more sophisticated data analysis issues. Cray Inc. continues to offer its products at the outer reaches of computing speed and data analysis while leaving mass market commercialization of the overall technology to “closer to the consumer” developers. Users at this end of the spectrum are those companies involved in computing applications such as video games using 3D graphics and multiple outcome operations.
Instead of working in computing segments such as gaming technology, Cray Inc. has opted to work in its original sector, massive data analysis. These applications include weather forecasting, molecular design and astrophysics. Given the nature of these applications, customers tend to be institutions and governments.
In many ways, pricing of these very sophisticated machines becomes an issue and a non-issue all at the same time. Prices tend to be expensive, making budget conscious entities aware of the cost benefit. This awareness, however, comes with the understanding that achieving the end goal requires a machine capable of what the super computer is able to doing. From this perspective, having management, lobbyists and people placed at the correct administrative levels of governments, around the world, becomes the leading driver in sales.
Cray, Inc. appears to have these people in place. The company’s most recent installations involve an astrophysics project at the National Astronomical Observatory in Japan, which is directed toward modeling the universe in a virtual space, and a University of Edinburgh installation oriented toward allowing the next generation of technology to advance at its evolutionary pace.
Currently, the company has a new product offering that it has been waiting to bring to market. The product has been ready, awaiting a new processor, but is now available. Prospects for this new offering appear positive and may offer potential for the coming year.
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