Newsgroups: comp.parallel
From: Pierre Lagier <pierre@fujitsu.co.uk>
Subject: Fujitsu News
Organization: Fujistu Systems Europe Ltd
Date: Thu, 7 Dec 1995 19:34:07 GMT
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Message-ID: <4a7fjf$8ob@phoenix.fujitsu.co.uk>


FUJITSU LIMITED SECURES A SERVICE CONTRACT TO SUPPLY A NEW SUPERCOMPUTER TO 
THE EUROPEAN CENTRE FOR MEDIUM-RANGE WEATHER FORECASTS (ECMWF)

Tokyo, December 8, 1995 -- Fujitsu Limited has secured a "Service Contract" to 
supply ECMWF with a new a vector parallel supercomputer system to replace its 
existing CRAY YMP C90/16 and CRAY T3D supercomputers. The Service Contract 
provides ECMWF with supercomputer systems, software and maintenance over a 
period of almost five years (1996 - 2000) and is valued at 25 million Sterling 
Pounds. 

Under the contract, Fujitsu Limited will install a VPP300 system which will be 
used for migration and development purposes in March 1996. In June 1996, the 
system will be upgraded to a new CMOS based Vector Parallel supercomputer. 
This system will provide a sustained performance of five times that of the 
C90/16. In 1998, the system will be upgraded to provide roughly 25 times the 
sustained performance of the C90/16. 

ECMWF, established by a convention signed in October 1973, is one of the 
largest weather forecast centres in Europe and provides a service to its 18 
European Member States. Since it started operational activities in 1979, ECMWF 
has also been one of the largest supercomputer centres in Europe as it has 
traditionally installed the latest and most powerful supercomputers. Dr David 
Burridge, Director of ECMWF, said, "We selected Fujitsu because of the 
superior price performance of their VPP system. We are at an advanced stage in 
our plans to use the greater power of the new Fujitsu system to improve 
forecast accuracy by making better use of observational weather data, and also 
to make multiple forecasts of the global weather at higher resolution."
 
Dr Yoshihiro Kosaka, Group President, High Performance Computing Group of 
Fujitsu, said, "Fujitsu Limited is pleased that ECMWF has selected Fujitsu's 
VPP systems as their next supercomputer. We believe that our worldwide 
supercomputer activities - more than 250 systems now installed worldwide - 
have led to this excellent evaluation from ECMWF. The contract is a clear 
indication that Fujitsu's vector parallel processor architecture and 
technology are ideally suited for the high performance mathematical modelling 
and data analysis of weather forecasting."

He continued, "We are exceptionally honoured by the selection of ECMWF where 
many top scientists and meteorologists are gathered from all over Europe. It 
is our corporate intention to continue our contribution to scientists 
worldwide to help investigate and resolve the problems of a global scale 
through the use of the most advanced computer technology." 

Fujitsu Limited is the world's second-largest computer manufacturer and an 
international leader in telecommunications, semiconductors and other 
electronic!!devices. The Fujitsu Group, comprised of over 400 technology,     
software, and service!!companies posted global revenues of more than $36 
billion last year. Fujitsu's headquarters are in Tokyo, Japan.

Masatoshi Tsuda, Mike Beirne
Fujitsu Limited, Public Relations
6-1 Marunouchi 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100 Japan
Tel: +81.3.3213.4160
Fax: +81.3.3216.9365
Internet e-mail: tsuda@hq.fujitsu.co.jp, mike@hq.fujitsu.co.jp
Internet server: http://www.fujitsu.co.jp/index-e.html

Mr P.J. Thomas 
General Manager, UK and Nordic 
Fujitsu Systems (Europe) Limited 
2 Longwalk Road 
Stockley Park 
Uxbridge 
Middx. UB11 1AB 
Tel: 0181 606 4567    
Fax: 0181 606 4580 
E.Mail: pjt@fujitsu.co.uk


For further information contact:

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