Microsoft Adds 4 Engineering Software Firms to Oil, Gas Industry Computing Partner Ecosystem
November 17, 2007 // Published as a news service by IHS
According to Microsoft, these companies will help deliver more accessible high-performance computing (HPC) capabilities to engineers who use computer-aided engineering (CAE).
By combining their engineering simulation software with Windows Compute Cluster Server 2003, these industry partners make it faster and easier for design engineers to predict and improve the performance of new products or processes, to reduce time to market and to reduce overall engineering costs, Microsoft said.
Engineers can use an HPC platform to create detailed virtual prototypes and simulate product design performance, Microsoft said.
As a result, engineers within drill/platform manufacturers, downhole tool/drill bit manufacturers and the petrochemical industry will be able to improve computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and design and enhance their equipment and process troubleshooting capabilities.
"It is critical for oil and gas supply companies and their customers to improve product quality and reduce development lead time to remain competitive," said Craig Hodges, U.S. energy industry solutions director at Microsoft.
"Companies that develop engineering simulation solutions to run on Windows Compute Cluster Server provide design engineers - even at the department level and from within small and midsize firms - with more accessible HPC to help amplify their impact by empowering them to conduct more accurate simulations to get better products to market faster," Hodges said.
Jim Cashman, president and CEO of ANSYS, said, "More and more, our customers face increasingly tight schedules and budget constraints, and they're demanding that simulation help drive engineering innovation. High-performance computing and our partnership with Microsoft are an essential part of the response to that demand.
"Windows Compute Cluster Server makes computing capacity more easily deployable and maintainable, especially for those organizations that want to leverage their existing Windows expertise and infrastructure. We want to put simulation within the reach of every engineer, whether they are solving very large single-discipline problems or complex projects that span the physics spectrum," Cashman said.
Source: Microsoft Corp.