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Fujitsu Workstation Stands Out from the Crowd at the London Olympics 2012 Opening Ceremony

Munich, July 25, 2012



News facts:


  • Getty Images is using a Fujitsu CELSIUS workstation to stitch together thousands of images
  • The CELSIUS R920 workstation is fast enough to deliver the finished Gigapixel image overnight – up to 12 times faster than previously possible making these images ‘news-media friendly’ for the first time
  • Ambitious project helps connect people with technology


 

Fujitsu’s most-powerful workstation is at the heart of an ambitious project this weekend that demonstrates how it stands out from the crowd. With leading-edge speed and performance, the CELSIUS R920 workstation is fast enough for the first time to enable overnight completion of a ground-breaking project to knit together thousands of images into a seamless Gigapixel image for fast-paced news media use.

 

Images will be shot by Getty Images photographer Henry Stuart at the Opening Ceremony of the London Olympics, taking place in London during the evening of Friday July 27, 2012. They will then be processed overnight and stitched together into one gigantic image with a total resolution of 20 Gigapixel – up to 12 times faster than previously possible . By the following morning, attendees will be able to view the completed Gigapixel image online from Getty Images – Official Photographic Agency to the International Olympic Committee. The image will include the identifiable faces of a crowd of more than 80,000 people.

 

The image is the latest Gigapixel project where top-of-the-range computers are used to join together thousands of single still images into a single 360-degree panorama. Fujitsu has provided the workstation, nicknamed Monster II for its extreme competing power, the ultra-high-end Fujitsu CELSIUS R920 workstation is around 20 times faster than a standard PC, yet still fits on a desktop.

 

Supporting quotes

Henry Stuart, Photographer, Getty Images

“When the eyes of the world are on you, it is vital to make sure that you’re working with the latest state-of-the-art computer technology – helping to ensure perfect results. Fujitsu`s outstanding workstation really stands out from the crowd to make this ambitious project possible.

 

Dieter Heiss, Vice-President, Workplace Systems at Fujitsu Technology Solutions

“Fujitsu is helping people to connect with technology, by providing the top-end CELSIUS workstation that is able to complete ambitious computing tasks in very tight timeframes – even at the start of this year it wouldn’t have been possible for the overnight completion of a project on a scale like this. Thanks to this project, people at the London Olympics Opening Ceremony will have a long-term memory of the momentous occasion.”

 

Technology insight

The Fujitsu CELSIUS R920 used for this project is at the top end of the company’s workstation range, and delivers huge performance. It is fitted with 256GB of RAM and 32 Intel Xeon processor cores (the average desktop PC has 4GB and 2 or 4 cores). Monster II is fully optimized for dealing with the image-processing task, in order to ensure the fastest performance. Monster II used by Getty Images has a retail price of around EUR 20,000.

 

Fujitsu CELSIUS Workstations for Demanding Visualization and Computing Needs

The CELSIUS R920 Workstation is the head of the Fujitsu CELSIUS workstation portfolio which was completely refreshed in June 2012. Fujitsu’s near-silent, high-quality CELSIUS workstations are the ideal basis for demanding visualization and computing needs. The family’s new highlight member; the Fujitsu CELSIUS C620 1U Rack Workstation is designed to deliver r stunning graphics performance out of the datacenter.


Notes to editors
For organizational reasons, the gigapixel photoshoot at the opening ceremony did not take place. However, Henry Stuart completed a number of gigapixel images during the event, including the men's 100 metre final. These are available online.

Online resources

·          Royalty-free photography is available at:

·          CELSIUS R920 Workstation:

·          http://www.fujitsu.com/fts/products/computing/pc/workstations/superior/celsius-r920/index.html

·          For further information on Fujitsu CELSIUS, please visit:

·          http://www.fujitsu.com/fts/products/computing/pc/workstations/index.html

·          Fujitsu blog: http://blog.ts.fujitsu.com/

·          Fujitsu on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Fujitsu_TS

·          Fujitsu on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/face2fujitsu

 

For regular news updates, bookmark the Fujitsu newsroom: http://ts.fujitsu.com/ps2/nr/index.aspx


Press Contact

Fujitsu Technology Solutions

Dr Laura Bonamici
Corporate Communications Team
Tel +49 89 62060 4454 

Email: laura.bonamici@ts.fujitsu.com    


OnPR GmbH

Simon Jones

Tel: +49 89 30 90 51629

Email: simonj@onpr.com

 

About Fujitsu
Fujitsu is the leading Japanese information and communication technology (ICT) company offering a full range of technology products, solutions and services. Over 170,000 Fujitsu people support customers in more than 100 countries. We use our experience and the power of ICT to shape the future of society with our customers. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 4.5 trillion yen (US$54 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2012. For more information, please see
http://www.fujitsu.com

 

About Fujitsu Technology Solutions

Fujitsu Technology Solutions is the leading European IT infrastructure provider with a presence in all key markets in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, plus India, serving large-, medium- and small-sized companies as well as consumers. With its Dynamic Infrastructures approach, the company offers a full portfolio of IT products, solutions and services, ranging from clients to datacenter solutions, Managed Infrastructure and Infrastructure as a Service. Fujitsu Technology Solutions employs more than 13,000 people and is part of the global Fujitsu Group. For more information, please see ts.fujitsu.com/aboutus .

 

All other company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.

 

About Getty Images

Getty Images is one of the world’s leading creators and distributors of still imagery , video and multimedia products , as well as a recognized provider of other forms of premium digital content, including music. Getty Images serves business customers in more than 100 countries and is the first place creative and media professionals turn to discover, purchase and manage images and other digital content. Its award-winning photographers and imagery help customers produce inspiring work which appears every day in the world’s most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and Web sites. Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of digital media in communications and business, and enabling creative ideas to come to life.  Additional information on how Getty Images inspires and powers communications can be found on The Getty Images Blog at blog.gettyimages.com as well as on Facebook at www.facebook.com/gettyimages and Twitter at www.twitter.com/gettyimages.com

 

Date: 25 July, 2012
City: Munich