Computing technology used for advanced numerical calculations, such as supercomputers, has been limited to academic research and other applications until now. However, the demand for advanced computing capabilities is expanding as the number of data to be taken into account continues to grow, including environment, weather, economic, and community mobility, while the private sector accelerates digital transformation (DX). In response, Fujitsu has announced launch of Fujitsu Computing as a Service (CaaS), a new service portfolio that makes advanced computing technologies, such as the supercomputers Fugaku and Digital Annealer and software technologies such as AI easily available to everyone. This article will introduce details of Fujitsu Cloud Service HPC, the first CaaS product to go on sale.
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- Advanced computing technology that is expanding its use beyond academic and research fields
- Advanced computing technologies such as Fugaku to be available to everyone
- Launch of Fujitsu Cloud Service HPC as the first product of CaaS
- Democratizing the world-leading computing technologies to make the world more sustainable
Advanced computing technology that is expanding its use beyond academic and research fields
We are faced with global social challenges every day. The use of digital technology is essential to tackle various social issues such as global warming, large-scale disasters, and the new coronavirus pandemic. In particular, computing technology of supercomputers with advanced computing power is used in various fields, including the prediction of weather changes caused by global warming, simulation of damage from large-scale disasters, development of new drugs effective against infectious diseases, and orbit calculations for satellites and probes in the field of space development.
The use of advanced computing technology has been limited to government research and academic institutions in various countries. It was not realistic for private companies to introduce and utilize supercomputers due to the investment burden associated with the bulk purchase of facilities and equipment, as well as the need to employ expert technicians for introduction and operation. On the other hand, companies and organizations in a wide range of fields now require advanced computational skills to utilize big data in order to solve increasingly complex social issues and strengthen corporate competitiveness.
In response this situation, Fujitsu has announced launch of Fujitsu Computing as a Service (CaaS), a service portfolio that makes advanced computing technologies such as the supercomputers Fugaku and Digital Annealer, as well as software technologies such as AI, easily accessible to everyone. By utilizing this service, various companies and organizations will be able to contribute to solving issues in a wide range of industries, including financial services, supply chain efficiency, traceability management, electricity supply and demand forecasting, drug discovery efficiency, and disaster simulation.
Press conference held on April 6. Vivek Mahajan, Corporate Executive Officer, SEVP, CTO, Fujitsu Limited (left), Yoshinami Takahashi, Corporate Executive Officer, EVP, Fujitsu Limited (right)
Advanced computing technologies such as Fugaku to be available to everyone
Fujitsu positions CaaS as an important initiative that embodies its new business brand, Fujitsu Uvance, which aims to realize a sustainable world. Through a cloud-based system by CaaS, users can utilize the cutting-edge supercomputer FUJITSU Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000 (PRIMEHPC FX1000), which shares the same CPU at the heart of the supercomputer Fugaku. Digital Annealer and AI will also be available in the cloud.
In addition, CaaS provides software, service integration platform, consulting and tuning services that operate on top of these cloud services, allowing each service to work together seamlessly.
This will reduce the deployment and operational costs, allowing private companies and organizations to easily take advantage of world-class computing technology without paying attention to individual applications and services.
Launch of Fujitsu Cloud Service HPC as the first product of CaaS
As the first step of CaaS, Fujitsu announced preorder of Fujitsu Cloud Service HPC, which offers the computing power of the Fujitsu Supercomputer PRIMEHPC FX1000 as a cloud-based service from April 6, 2022. This service allows users to perform numerical calculations, fluid analysis, and structural analysis at high speed in the cloud.
Fujitsu Cloud Service HPC does not simply provide a computing environment. The software and libraries that pose challenges at the time of deployment are included as a standard package. In addition, we provide services for performance tuning and app analysis, allowing service users to focus on their research and analysis.
In addition, although the use of HPC requires technicians with specialized knowledge, the service provides support by engineers with expertise in large-scale HPC operations, allowing companies and organizations without HPC expertise to proceed smoothly with deployment and operation.
Democratizing the world-leading computing technologies to make the world more sustainable
Fujitsu hopes to solve the social issues that may arise in society in 2030 and create a sustainable society where everyone can move forward toward their dreams.
This time, we are pleased to present CaaS, which makes advanced computing and software technologies readily available to everyone. In October 2022, CaaS will be available for sale, enabling customers to use Digital Annealers and AI as services in the cloud, starting with HPC. We plan to gradually expand our software services thereafter, adding a variety of business applications based on customer feedback. In the future, we would like to offer quantum computing and quantum simulators on CaaS as well.
In addition, we are planning to conduct demonstration experiments with institutions and companies on design optimization for the manufacturing industry and drug discovery efficacy as leading examples of CaaS utilization. We will continue to provide the best computing technology and know-how to realize a sustainable society together with people in various industries.
