Mercury Computer Systems Releases Dual Cell-Based Blade

Mercury Computer Systems has released its first product based on the IBM Cell BE (Broadband Engine) processor. This announcement follows up on Mercury's June announcement that it was partnering with IBM Engineering & Technology Services to integrated Cell technology into a range of products that address computationally-intensive applications.

Mercury's Dual Cell-Based Blade is aimed at the company's traditional target markets, which include defence and aerospace, medical and commercial markets like seismic and semiconductor capital equipment, and it will mostly be distributed through Mercury's OEM channels as well as through its integrator channels. According to Randy Dean, vice president of business and technology engagement at Mercury Computer Systems, the Blade really serves markets that need embedded computing solutions, and not surprisingly, the Blade fits well into various defence segments, as well as into seismic and semiconductor test equipment and medical imaging markets -- all markets that have high and intensive computational levels.

"Our approach for most of the markets we're in is a very directed sales force," Dean said.

However, Cell technology has the potential to reach markets that Mercury hasn't traditionally gone after, he added. Dean wouldn't say what those markets were, as the company is still discovering those new opportunities.

"We sell to the defence primes. We sell to medical OEMs who then integrate our product into their solution and deliver it to the end-user," he said. Typically, Mercury doesn't sell its products directly to the consumer or end-user customers, but instead to engineering teams within integrator organizations.

Dean said there is a lot of excitement about the Dual Cell-Based Blade. Everyone is intrigued by Cell technology and are curious if it can meet their market needs, he added.

"It's a very excited customer base at this point," he said.

http://www.integratedmar.com/ecl-usa/story.cfm?item=20059

http://www.mc.com/mediacenter/pr/news_details.cfm?press_id=2005%5F10%5F06%5F0900%5F064432%5F14039pr%2Ecfm

http://www.mc.com/cell/

Mercury products with Cell technology are expected to enable the hardware component of immersive virtual reality systems, which are used in oil and gas exploration to accelerate the processing of multiple, massive data sets, thereby increasing the efficiency of the planning methodology. Image provided courtesy of the BP Center for Visualization. Data courtesy of BP, Talisman North Sea, ONEPM, Premier Oil, and Kerr-McGee Oil (UK)

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