Access to advanced computer simulations made easy: Fortissimo Marketplace brings together key providers and SMEs

Today, Fortissimo launched the Fortissimo Marketplace, a new platform for brokering High Performance Computing (HPC) services. The Fortissimo Marketplace will simplify access to high-end simulation services helping companies improve productivity and significantly reduce costs. Fortissimo is a new company, emerging from a successful EU funded initiative, the Fortissimo Project.

Small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) have in often struggled to take advantage of High-Performance simulation and modelling, due to its intrinsic complexity and price. The Fortissimo Marketplace, as a tailor made self-service platform, aims to overcome those barriers by providing on demand access to hardware, software and the necessary expertise to run advanced simulations.

Service providers joining the platform benefit from a targeted sales channel, expert matchmaking with user requirements and a fulfilment service for end user accounting and billing. At launch, Fortissimo already has 139 partners including manufacturing companies, application developers, domain experts, IT solution providers and HPC Cloud service providers, from 19 countries. 

Proven business advantages delivered through simulation and modelling

Using simulation and modelling on High Performance Computing systems is widely seen as an effective but very expensive design and development tool, only accessible to the largest and most financially powerful companies. Analysts IDC have estimated[1] that each dollar invested in HPC returned, on average, US$ 356 in revenue and US$ 38 in profits or cost savings. However, the supercomputers and software required to run large scale highly sophisticated simulations, plus the expertise of skilled professionals to handle the simulation tasks, require substantial capital investments. This means, the initial cost for setup and operation can be forbidding for potential adopters.

Affordable access to computer simulations for all

The Fortissimo Marketplace takes the complexity out of the process of procuring high performance simulation and modelling, and markedly reduces costs. Through either turn-key packages or Fortissimo’s matching service, SMEs from a broad range of vertical markets including automotive, aviation, medical engineering, manufacturing, the energy and environmental sectors can gain cost-effective access to advanced simulation and modelling services operating on a cloud infrastructure of HPC resources coupled to software applications, expertise, and tools. Larger enterprises or academic institutions can of course benefit from the advanced simulation and modelling services as well. Clients can immediately access and purchase services after registering on the platform. Registering is free of charge.

Portal of choice for HPC service providers

Fortissimo Marketplace is open to any service provider and offers flexible terms for pricing, payment and service presentation. It is a goal of the Fortissimo Marketplace to create value and opportunities for all parties in the design process. This includes Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) looking for a reliable partner to implement their Software-as-a-Service strategy, as well as Service Providers wishing to provide expertise or resources. The platform provides a pre-pay or pay-per-use, one-stop shop for hardware, visualisation, software and expertise that can be accessed as “tools”. Through its streamlined and well thought out approach, the Fortissimo Marketplace aims to become the portal of choice for advanced computer simulations and service provision delivered by Europe’s major HPC technology providers.

Two types of membership are offered. A Gold membership enables ISVs, Solution Providers, Integrators and selected HPC Centers to advertise and promote their services via the Fortissimo Marketplace. With a Platinum membership, the Fortissimo Marketplace additionally provides an integrated sales platform providing a fulfilment service including end–user accounting and billing.

Fortissimo Project experiments prove the potential of digital modelling

The Fortissimo project has conducted over 50 experiments within the pilot phase of Fortissimo Marketplace. As a result of its Fortissimo experiment, IES, a leading building-performance modelling company, can now run simulations in hours instead of days and at half the cost of an in-house system capable of delivering the same results. Similarly, supercar manufacturer Koeinsegg, recouped its investment in HPC experimentation with Fortissimo in less than three months. Corresponding to a 1.5% reduction in overall development costs of its new Koenigsegg One:1 supercar.

In a Fortissimo experiment, business relevant simulations of industrial processes are implemented and evaluated. Each experiment is collaborative and includes application and HPC experts or ISVs who become part of the Fortissimo consortium.

In the second stage of the Fortissimo project, which was initiated in November 2015, more than 30 experiments have been started. Successfully concluded experiments become case studies, which are made available to other users through the Fortissimo Marketplace to inspire evaluation of HPC simulation. Today’s experiments cover subjects as diverse as improving energy efficiency, the aerodynamics of light aircraft, CO2 emissions prediction for automotive engines, low-pressure die-casting, cabling routing architecture optimisation and many more.

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