IDC, in close partnership with users and vendors in the technical high-performance computing (HPC) industry, has created the HPC User Forum, a unique service that addresses the needs of end users within this market. Initiated by IDC, this forum promotes the interests of HPC users worldwide in industry, government, and academia. The HPC User Forum is an extension of IDC's long-standing commitment to the global HPC community.

Topics discussed at the HPC User Forum include:

• Selecting future architectures
• Success stories, best practices, and common user requirements
• New technologies and market events around the world
• The future of high-end high-performance computers
• Future product directions in hardware, software, networking, storage, and services
• Performance analysis and evaluations of HPC technical servers
• Important trends such as many-core/multicore, alternative processors, green HPC, and outsourcing

Throughout the year, this service offers the following benefits. You will:

• Receive timely documents on the HPC industry (uses of high-end computers, high-end best practices, market dynamics, computer systems, and vendor activities and strategies)
• Participate in setting the direction of the forum and HPC market research
• Participate in forum meetings
• Collaborate and network with peers
• Discuss application needs and workload requirements with other HPC users in industry, government, and academia
• Present accomplishments at meetings and in IDC documents
• Participate in HPC market studies
• Become a full voting member of the forum
• Have access to IDC industry analysts

Our research addresses issues that are critical to your success, such as:

1. What is the future of high-end HPC?
2. Where are the next big HPC market opportunities?
3. How can HPC users influence vendors' offerings?
4. How can HPC vendors influence HPC developments in industry, government, and academia?
5. What are the user requirements for high-end computers?
6. Where are the new opportunities for HPC vendors?

IDC's HPC User Forum examines how HPC vendors are positioning themselves to compete in the HPC market. This service reviews user requirements, strategies, market position, and the future direction of the marketplace.

This service focuses on the following core research. In addition to the insight provided in this service, IDC may conduct additional research on specific topics, or emerging market segments, via research offerings that require additional IDC funding and client investment.

These documents contain detailed notes from the forum meetings, the principal tasks of which are to share information between HPC users, vendors, and IDC toward improving the health of the HPC industry. The notes also explore HPC user success in various industries.

This research paper aims to provide users/buyers with a taxonomy of processor types, based on the processors' respective strengths and weaknesses in supporting various application attributes.

This study assesses user requirements and current offerings for HPC storage systems and data management, including parallel file systems, and the growing gap between computational speeds and storage speeds, as these affect buying decisions.

This study takes a detailed look at the fast-growing, diverse market for technical servers priced below US$250,000, including user demographics, requirements, and budgets.

As multiple vendors prepare to launch technical servers priced below US$25,000, IDC reviews the offerings and projects the potential market for this new breed.

Half a dozen nations have announced plans to deploy petascale systems in the end-of-the-decade time frame. This study evaluates each initiative and offers a prognosis for the petaflop era.

IDC offers a complete market intelligence solution customized to meet your business requirements. The array of products and services available to you includes:

• The opportunity to have your specific questions answered through personal interaction with industry experts who cover the topics and markets in your service
• Around-the-clock access to our market intelligence on idc.com, IDC's personalized Web experience
• A view of the market's future with 12 months of continuous intelligence about its direction and the reasons behind it, along with actionable advice for taking advantage of existing and emerging opportunities
• Special client discount pricing on purchases of research from other services
• Complimentary admission to IDC's annual Directions conference, where you'll hear our latest forecasts and network with IDC analysts and other industry professionals
• Complimentary invitations to monthly executive telebriefings, interactive forums designed to provide you with insights about research and strategies directly from IDC analysts

To find out how our flexible packaging options can meet your specific business needs, please contact your IDC sales executive.

As a privately held company, IDC believes that our customers are our primary constituency. A large percentage of every revenue dollar is reinvested back into our products, including more analysts, more geographic coverage, and extensive primary research.

Our steady growth over the past 10-plus years reflects our commitment to investing in our customers.