Introducing the world’s most powerful supercomputers

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Authors: Anton Blanchard, DE OpenPOWER and Linux Kernel Hacker and Michael Neuling, Linux Kernel Developer, IBM Systems Australia

The world of supercomputing has never been more dynamic, exciting and innovative than now. In this ever-changing technological environment, IBM has proven itself as a leader in supercomputing, creating better results for businesses and influencing humanity profoundly by pushing this technology to new limits.

Leading the world from the bush capital

If you were surprised to find out that two of the world’s fastest supercomputers were in part developed in Canberra, you wouldn’t be alone. Australia’s capital city is usually known as a hub for politicians, not game-changing tech developers. However, a team of IT specialists at IBM’s Canberra headquarters were instrumental in creating the open-source software for the Sierra and Summit supercomputers. These computers have the power and potential to revolutionise the way many businesses are run and tackle a range of problems facing humanity.

Predicting weather disasters to minimise their effects

Every year we hear stories of farming regions being decimated by unpredictable weather conditions, leaving communities devastated. But technology, data, and supercomputing are combining to revolutionise how weather events are forecasted, giving farmers and communities more time to prepare for intense weather events.

The program, known as IBM GRAF (the Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System), is supported by IBM’s supercomputing capabilities. Its accurate predictions have helped vulnerable communities, most recently farmers in Mozambique, prepare for catastrophic floods. This technology has huge implications in the private sector too. Major corporations such as airlines use it to plan safer and more efficient flight routes, and it helps agricultural businesses worldwide manage supplies in changing weather conditions.

Supercomputers for better business, and a better world

The possibilities of IBM’s supercomputing programs to be a force for good are endless. We’ve already seen newly developed machines working on complex problems such as building disaster-resistant cities, processing genomic codes to improve our understanding of diseases, and even tackling the challenge of trying to land humans on Mars. Beyond those projects, the capabilities of IBM’s supercomputers for business are abundant. From companies utilising our range of supercomputing technology to optimise their workflow, to process data and to generate informed insights – supercomputing is changing the world faster than ever before.