Upcoming workshop to focus on developing commercial applicationsand productivity software for Cell Broadband Engine (Cell/B.E.)Processor

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 9, 2008 - The Georgia Tech College of Computingtoday announced the renewal of the Sony Corporation/Sony ComputerEntertainment Inc. (Sony Group)-Toshiba-IBM Center of Competence (STICenter), based on Georgia Tech's exceptional work in multiple areas ofresearch and evangelism for the Cell Broadband Engine™ (Cell/B.E.)technology. Through Georgia Tech's efforts, the STI Center has beenresponsible for creating and disseminating software optimized forCell/B.E. systems, and for performing research on the design ofCell/B.E. systems, algorithms and applications. In conjunction withthis renewal of the STI Center, Georgia Tech is announcing a series ofnew research projects that are being undertaken at the center todevelop applications and productivity tools based on the Cell/B.E.microprocessor.

Georgia Tech also announced today that it will host the Second AnnualCell/B.E. Processor Workshop from July 10-11, 2008, focusing onsoftware, tools and applications for the Cell/B.E. processor, includinghigh performance computing applications and programmability tools. Thetwo-day workshop is sponsored by Sony Group, Toshiba and IBM and willbe held at the Klaus Advanced Computing Building on Georgia Tech'scampus. More information on the workshop may be found athttp://sti.cc.gatech.edu/.

The STI Center of Competence was created at Georgia Tech to test theboundaries and demonstrate the extreme performance of the Cell/B.E.architecture. "Today, we are carrying out the vision we always intended- to generate breakthrough innovations using Cell/B.E. technologiesworking hand-in-hand with researchers at Sony Group, Toshiba and IBM,"said David A. Bader, professor and executive director ofHigh-Performance Computing in the Georgia Tech College of Computing."We are very encouraged that our initial research results are showingthe multi-faceted applicability of this technology."

One of the key research challenges that the collaborators will addressthrough continued applied research is the use of Cell/B.E. technologyto better monitor an aircraft's structural safety in commercial andmilitary airplanes. Researchers will develop Cell/B.E. baseddata-processing software that will expeditiously and accurately monitorstructural components in flight by measuring and recording anaircraft's vibrations through a distributed network of sensors.Although a commercial signal processing application for airplanes is along term plan, researchers are working to develop a solid softwarefoundation in the labs.

"IBM has invested in a strategy that applies the use of technology tosolve grand challenges with our trusted university partners," said JaiMenon, IBM Fellow, vice president, Technical Strategy and UniversityRelations. "In our collaboration with Georgia Tech, we are workingtogether to better predict airline mechanical failures to make flyingin airlines safer for passengers like you and me."

The other joint research projects in productivity enhancements include:
- A useful signal processing kernel needed for oil and gas exploration and seismic monitoring;
- Data compression, used for file compression or reducing the sizeof messages sent between computers required in multiple industries;
- Financial services applications for consolidated debt optimization, as well as European and American options pricing;
- Encryption libraries for securing communications for privacy;
- High-speed multimedia codecs, such as MPEG2 and JPEG2000 encoders and decoders;
- Bioinformatics, such as DNA sequence alignment and comparison;
- Software productivity enhancement tools that involve across-platform profiler, performance estimation and tuning system withIDE type features;
- Single-source automatic translator for generating PPU and SPU codes from a monolithic C/C++ application.

"We anticipate a paradigm shift in computing and our collaboration withthe Georgia Tech College of Computing will create innovativeapplications for Cell/B.E. processors," said Yasu Yokote, generalmanager, CELL Application Development Center, Sony Corporation. "For ayear STI Center created at Georgia Tech, they created softwareproductivity enhancement tools, which are valuable for moving legacycode bases to CELL/B.E. and will generate tremendous value to allCell-based products."

"Within a year of the opening of the Center of Competence at GeorgiaTech, researchers are already generating outstanding results onCell/B.E.," said Mitsuo Saito, Chief Fellow, Toshiba CorporationSemiconductor Company. "The future will see growing demand formulti-core processor applications, and we are delighted that the Centeris playing a key role in anticipating and responding to such demand."

About the Georgia Tech College of Computing
The Georgia Tech College of Computing is a national leader in theresearch and creation of real-world computing breakthroughs that drivesocial and scientific progress. With its graduate program ranked 9thnationally by U.S. News and World Report, the College's unconventionalapproach to education is pioneering the new era of computing byexpanding the horizons of traditional computer science students throughinterdisciplinary collaboration and a focus on human centeredsolutions. For more information about the College of Computing, itsacademic divisions and research centers, please visithttp://www.cc.gatech.edu.

About the Cell Broadband Engine
The revolutionary Cell/B.E. processor is a breakthrough designfeaturing a central processing core, based on IBM's industry leadingPower Architecture™ technology, and eight synergistic processors. Cell/B.E. "supercharges" computation-intensive applications, offeringfast performance for computer entertainment and handhelds,virtual-reality, wireless downloads, real-time video chat, interactiveTV shows and other "image-hungry" computing environments. The processorwas created through a collaboration between Sony Group, ToshibaCorporation (Toshiba) and IBM,

All company/product names and service marks may be trademarks orregistered trademarks of their respective companies. Cell BroadbandEngine is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

For more information, contact:
Stefany Wilson
Georgia Tech College of Computing
404.312.6620
stefany@cc.gatech.edu