Fujitsu and esi group partner to deliver software solutions for engineers through pay-per-use collaborative interface
Share:
Fujitsu Systems Europe and ESI Group announce a partnership to extend the validation of ESI Group's applied mechanics technology with the SynfiniWay service-oriented collaborative computing platform from Fujitsu. The first validation of the platform with ESI Group products was made with the PAM-CRASH application for crash simulation, a solution that was deployed through the joint pay-per-use Application Service Provider (ASP) business with Fujitsu Systems Europe. End-users connect to the ASP site using a SynfiniWay client interface, which ensures complete security of the computational servers and manages the automatic transfer and encryption of data between the server and desktop machine. Initial clients for this PAM-CRASH ASP included automotive manufacturers and sub-contractors seeking to benefit from access to peak-load capacities or scalable systems to resolve their larger problems.
An ASP model is only one way the client can connect to an external managed facility with Synfiniway. It can be deployed entirely within an organization to connect machines in the same site or separate locations, or it can serve as a collaboration platform between companies. Among current customers, some implementations include pooling resources from across a physically dispersed organization to increase aggregate utilization, standardization of the end-user interface for local heterogeneous systems, and meta-scheduling workflows for optimized process turnaround. These adaptable solutions can be installed easily and quickly without disrupting the existing infrastructure.
SynfiniWay is based on a service-oriented programming model and serves as a global task-management layer between the end-user and dispersed computing resources. This middleware platform virtualizes a networked computing infrastructure allowing the user to execute tasks anywhere, from desktops to remote servers, with the same end-user view. Services are then linked in workflows to encode and create innovative engineering business processes through versatile logical and data dependencies - an effective mechanism for automated connectivity along the application value chain.
"ESI Group is engaging into a new phase of its long-term partnership with Fujitsu that started with the validation of ESI Group solutions on Fujitsu high-performance computers," says Vincent Chaillou, president and chief operating officer of ESI Group's product operations. "Today, the same quest to deliver high-value products and services to our customers leads us to validate the SynfiniWay middleware that will enable flexible access to PAM-CRASH and the Virtual Try-Out Space(TM)." This middleware is a key element in increasing a customer's confidence in the ASP-based model and ensure its growth, he says.
"Process innovation is a key benefit from SynfiniWay." adds Naoya Tamura, CEO of Fujitsu Systems Europe. "Through the workflow control of virtualized services, new engineering business processes can be created that are independent of the underlying compute and network layer. The validation partnership for ESI Group products will ensure that SynfiniWay services comply with the application interface and method. Our mutual customers can then be assured of a reliable and robust combined solution for industrial production," Tamura says.
SynfiniWay can be purchased directly from Fujitsu Systems Europe, and was demonstrated during the EuroPAM 2005 conference on digital simulation for virtual engineering from Oct. 5 to 7 in Potsdam, Germany. Support for SynfiniWay is provided by Fujitsu Systems Europe and by Fujitsu Limited.
About Fujitsu Systems Europe:
Fujitsu Systems Europe provides an integrated suite of products and services for users of distributed and clustered computing infrastructures. Technical computing solutions include Linux clusters, large-scale SMP servers and workstations, complemented by a managed facility for peak and scalable utility computing. Fujitsu Systems Europe also develops and markets world-wide the SynfiniWay software platform for collaborative computing. Their services, founded on dedicated expertise in technical and engineering simulation, include the audit, design and deployment of SynfiniWay-based solutions for process optimisation and innovation. Clients include leading enterprises in the automotive and aerospace industries, energy, meteorology, as well as universities and research institutions. For more information, please see: www.fujitsu.com/uk/services/hpc. Fujitsu Systems Europe is a strategic member of the Tokyo-based Fujitsu Group, a leading provider of customer-focused IT and communications solutions for the global marketplace.
About ESI Group:
ESI Group is a world-leading supplier and pioneer of digital simulation software for prototyping and manufacturing processes that take into account the physics of materials. Its extensive suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications realistically simulate a product's behavior during testing to fine-tune manufacturing processes for desired product performance and evaluate the environment's impact on it. The products have a proven track record in manufacturing and represent a virtual engineering solution known as the Virtual Try-Out Space (VTOS), enabling virtual prototypes to be improved in a continuous and collaborative manner. This allows the company's solutions to work together and with other independently developed applications. By reducing costs and development lead times and enabling product/process synergies, VTOS solutions offer a competitive advantage by lessening the need for physical prototypes during product development. The company employs almost 500 high-level specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries.
