Fujitsu Launches Cloud Service for Analytical Simulations

Tokyo, August 08, 2011

Fujitsu announced today the launch of a new cloud service for analytical simulations in the area of technical computing called TC Cloud. The new TC Cloud service, which will be introduced in phases beginning in the third quarter of 2011, is comprised of three services: (1) Analytical Platform Service, which provides a platform for conducting analytical simulations; (2) Analytical Applications Service, which provides analytical applications; and (3) Analytical Help Desk, which provides support for setting up and running analytical simulations.

Geared towards the manufacturing sector, the new service enables customers to optimize their computational resources by allowing them to quickly scale their resources up or down in accordance with fluctuations in their need to run analyses. In addition, customers who are considering whether to initiate their own analytical simulation capabilities can use this service to do an easy trial deployment. Moreover, the Analytical Applications Service can be used under either a fixed-rate license or a usage-based license, enabling customers to optimize the costs they incur for using analytical applications.

In advance of the general launch, Nikon Corporation has already started using the Analytical Platform Service to handle electricity supply shortages in Japan as well as to make its analysis work more efficient.

For many years Fujitsu has been delivering solutions in the field of technical computing, from supercomputers to applications development. In leveraging its experience and know-how to offer TC Cloud, Fujitsu aims to contribute to the creation of new value on the manufacturing frontlines of its customers.

Background

In the design and development operations of manufacturers in such industries as automobiles, electronics, and machine tools, computer-based analytical simulations have become essential for improving the safety and reliability of products and for compressing development times. Due to the difficulty in flexibly adjusting computational resources and changing the number of licenses for applications in relation to fluctuations in the need to run analyses, the needs of computational analysis are often not met.

To address these needs, Fujitsu is offering TC Cloud, its new cloud service for analytical simulations for the technical computing field. The new cloud service enables customers to quickly access computational resources as their needs arise. TC Cloud is comprised of three services: (1) Analytical Platform Service, (2) Analytical Applications Service, and (3) Analytical Help Desk.

Analytical Platform Service

Utilizing a platform consisting of its datacenters and other resources, Fujitsu builds an analytical simulation environment for each customer, and then delivers the environment as a cloud service. Fujitsu is offering three classes of service with variations in parallel processing performance and the flexibility with which configurations can be changed.

1. Speedy Class
   Offered through a virtual machine environment, speedy class enables customers to expand or shrink their computational environment immediately. It allows customers to address sudden needs for analytical simulations, and is ideal for relatively small-scale analyses or multiplex computing for use in optimizations.
2. Premium Class
   Offered through a physical server environment, premium class enables customers to expand or shrink their computational environment in about a week. It is ideal for medium-scale parallel computing tasks.
3. High-Performance Class
   Offered through a high-speed network connected to a high-performance computing environment, it is ideal for large-scale parallel computing tasks.

Features of the Analytical Platform Service

1. Can create hybrid environments combining the computational resources of the customer with those of the TC Cloud
   By deploying a web-based analytics portal in the customer's environment, a hybrid environment combining the customer's computational resources with those of any of the three classes listed above can be created. This enables customers to choose the optimal computing resources for performing their analyses, depending on the requirements of each analysis.
2. Large-volume analytic results can be conveniently navigated
   Large-volume analytic results can be viewed through the cloud's virtual desktop. Using Fujitsu's high-speed image compression technology, the screen images viewed can be sent via high-speed transmission to a local PC. With superior performance response, users can conveniently navigate through their results.
3. Delivers the superior reliability and operational continuity of Fujitsu's datacenters
   With speedy class and premium class, a cloud environment for each customer is build in Fujitsu's datacenters, which are equipped with leading-edge security and highly-robust infrastructure. In the event of a disaster, customers can still have access to a high-quality platform that is safe and secure.

Analytical Applications Service

In conjunction with the Analytical Platform Service, Fujitsu is also offering analytical applications as a cloud service. The first service to be offered will be Poynting, Fujitsu's electromagnetic wave analytical software, with other services added over time.

Features of the Analytical Applications Service

1. With a metered-rate license, cost is based on usage volume
   In addition to the fixed-rate licenses (monthly rate) that it has been offering, Fujitsu is offering metered-rate licenses. As the fee structure is based on usage volume, customers whose analysis needs fluctuate widely can optimize their usage costs. Unlike fixed-rate licenses, there are no restrictions on the number of licenses that can be used at one time. Customers have the flexibility of temporarily using multiple licenses to perform a high-speed computational task.
2. Services will expand to include all types of analytical applications
   Through collaborations with analytical application vendors, Fujitsu will expand its service offerings to include all types of analytical applications, such as applications for structural analysis, crash analysis, and thermo-fluid analysis.

Analytical Help Desk

The Analytical Help Desk is a support service for resolving problems in analytical simulations. Leveraging the know-how it has accumulated through its delivery of solutions in the field of technical computing, Fujitsu is offering support in set-ups, training, and operations, and can also run analyses on behalf of customers. Even customers who are new to the field of analytical simulations will be able to apply them in their work with the support Fujitsu provides.

Case Study: Advanced Deployment at Nikon Corporation

Nikon has led the world in pioneering leading-edge domains as a manufacturer of precision optical equipment through manufacturing and selling cameras; photolithography machines used in the production of semiconductors and liquid crystals; and measuring instruments. In advance of the general launch of the service, Nikon deployed TC Cloud's Analytical Platform Service (high-performance class) as an environment for running analytical simulations.

Comment from Nikon

"We started using Fujitsu's TC Cloud to help us cope with the electricity shortages that were expected in the summer. Once we actually used it, we found it offered several advantages beyond our original objectives in using the service. We were able to start running our analyses much more quickly than if we had used our own computational resources. As well, no maintenance was required due to Fujitsu's expert support and we were able to run high-speed analyses because the TC Cloud's computational resources were well-tuned. We look forward to further updates including the comprehensive line of application services, such as applications from independent software vendors. We are confident that Fujitsu's TC Cloud will continue to play an integral role in our analytical simulation work."