IDC’s HPC analyst team has launched a new program to recognize noteworthy achievements made by high performance computing (HPC) technology users. While there are multiple benchmarks to measure the performance of technical computers, IDC believes that there currently isn’t an adequate methodology to evaluate the economic and scientific value HPC systems contribute. The HPC Innovation Excellence Award Program is designed to help close that gap.
The main objectives of the program are as follows:
• Recognize users and their vendors for major HPC-supported achievements in industry, government and academia.
• Build a large portfolio of quantified ROI success stories to strengthen the case for boosting investments in and funding for HPC. Quantifying HPC ROI has been difficult historically, because users have been reluctant to make this information available, or have not assembled this information. The award program provides an important means for gathering more quantified ROI success stories. Through identifying clear ROI examples, IDC expects to demonstrate more convincingly the close link between HPC and economic/scientific innovation and competitiveness.
• Increase HPC adoption by educating the market on its benefits — using clear and specific ROI examples.
• Shed more light on new/emerging markets for HPC — e.g. the “Missing Middle,” SMB/SME/SMSs, data-intensive computing, cloud computing, and so forth.
The ranking of the accomplishments will be done by HPC users, following very specific rules and using a two-step process:
1. A quick assessment will first be made to see if the submission is a realistic assessment of the value/returns. HPC User Forum steering committee members will be the judges for this first round of assessment (for the list of the steering committee members, see www.hpcuserforum.com).
2. The final evaluation will then be conducted by selected experts in the specific area/discipline in which the work was done.
The first round of awards will be given out at the annual ISC conference (June 19 to 23, 2011 in Hamburg, Germany).
Prizes for winners from small organizations and start-up companies will include a framed certificate and choice of free CPU hours, selected application software licenses or technical consulting time. For larger organizations, a framed certificate/trophy will be awarded at major events (such as HPC User Forum, SC and ISC). Winners will be invited to present their success stories at HPC User Forums, SC, ISC as well as industry specific events.
HPC users are invited to submit their HPC success stories online at www.hpcuserforum.com/innovationaward.
The deadline for the first set of awards is March 31, 2011.
