BURLINGAME, Calif., June 30, 1999 — High performance computer workstations are used daily for a variety of digital needs, from designing automobiles to creating special effects for feature films. Until recently, this heavy workload was handled mostly by reliable and high-performing — but expensive — UNIX operating systems.
However, the latest Intel and Windows NT-based workstations have matched, and in many cases exceeded, the performance and reliability of UNIX-based workstations — but at a fraction of the cost. In addition to this increased performance, the platform also offers engineers and other technical professionals the ability to collaborate on designs and integrate administrative tasks all on a single desktop.
This is just one of the trends showcased at the second annual Workstation Leadership Forum, hosted this week by Microsoft and Intel.
Beginning with keynote addresses by Microsoft Chairman and CEO Bill Gates and Intel President and CEO Craig Barrett, WLF ’99 showcases numerous enterprise customers — including BankBoston, Ellerbe Becket, Enron Corp., Lear Corp., Navistar International Corp., Sony Electronics Inc. and Xerox Corp. — that are making the move to Intel and Windows NT-based workstations for their high performance computing needs.
During his keynote, Gates described workstation users as the “ultimate knowledge workers” for their corporations. He suggested that the strength of the platform extends the use of innovative tools for knowledge workers, helping them access critical information and collaborate with fellow employees and their customer base. This collaboration can ultimately increase companies’ productivity and innovation. According to Microsoft and Intel, a single, integrated platform is a key advantage in keeping information accurate and timely within a company — no matter what size — to improve the way knowledge workers manage their everyday computing processes and keep customer satisfaction high.
“Both Microsoft and Intel have been very focused on delivering a solid workstation platform that provides all of the necessary ingredients — high performance, reliability, scalability, ease of use and low total cost of ownership — for customers to increase efficiency and reduce costs across their technical computing environments,”
Gates said.
“With a powerful set of tools and technologies, workstation users are empowered to become the ultimate knowledge workers, with a full spectrum of information at their fingertips and connected to the rest of the enterprise to share design knowledge.”
Examples of Intel and Windows NT’s success in high-performance computing are numerous: Sony Pictures Imageworks used Intel and Windows NT-based workstations to create digital effects for the upcoming motion picture “Stuart Little,” and architectural firm Ellerbe Becket used the platform to design Seattle’s Safeco Field. Xerox Corp. has seen tremendous performance and application integration by using Windows NT workstations for its design environment.
Because the platform provides high performance, cost-effective systems that are easy to deploy and integrate with legacy environments, many more enterprise customers are expected to move to Intel and Windows NT-based workstations in the future.