Hewlett-Packard Co. is launching two new supercomputers called Apollo, doubling down on tech hardware as the company looks to take more market share from rival IBM Corp. in the high-end supercomputer realm.
The first machine, Apollo 6000, uses half the energy as existing systems while offering high performance computing capabilities through a combination of 160 low-end servers, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Hewlett-Packard (NYSE: HPQ) is the parent company of Plano-based HP Enterprise Services.
HP said the second system, Apollo 8000, is the world's first supercomputer to be completely liquid cooled. The machine shoots water through channels in the chassis that surrounds the computer, which is circulated out through a pipe system that companies are required to build into their data centers, according to the article.
An IDC analyst said HP is smart to boost its supercomputing offerings as the industry is slated to see a 7 percent compounded annual growth rate between now and 2017, the Journal reported.
HP was the top dog globally in the overall $10.3 billion high-performance computing market last year, with a 32.3 percent share of shipments. IBM held 27.7 percent. Supercomputers are commonly used by government agencies and companies that need massive computing power for complicated calculations.
In May, HP said it would cut an additional 11,000 to 16,000 jobs as the company continues restructuring efforts that aim to save money for investments in new technologies. The total planned cuts are expected between 40,000 and 50,000 — a roughly 15 percent cut to its global workforce — and be completed near the end of next year.
