1. Title of Presentation Client
A HPC "Best Practices" And "Economic/Scientific Success" Award Recognition Program To Expand The Use Of HPC At All Levels Of The Market September 14, 2010
Jie Wu
Earl Joseph
Steve Conway
Copyright 2007 IDC. Reproduction is forbidden unless authorized. All rights reserved.

2. HPC Award Program Goals
#1 Help to expand the use of HPC by showing real ROI examples:
Expand the “Missing Middle” – SMBs, SMSs, etc. by providing examples of what can be done with HPC
Show mainstream and leading edge HPC success stories
#2 Create a large database of success stories across many industries/verticals/disciplines
To help justify investments and show non-users ideas on how to adopt HPC in their environment
Creating many examples for funding bodies and politicians to use and better understand the value of HPC  to help grow public interest in expanding HPC investments
For OEMs to demonstrate success stories using their products

3. Overall Approach: Multiple Awards To Address Different HPC Users
The awards could be given out every six months and there would be a number of different categories:
Small and Start-up Organizations
Mainstream Organizations
The Award lists would also be split by industry and perhaps by discipline
The number of “Top” awards would be limited to keep the awards being valuable
But award certificates would be given to all submissions that met the base qualifications

4. Users Have to Submit the Value of the Accomplishment
Users would be required to submit the value achieved with their HPC system, using 3 broad categories, following a very specific set of guidelines:
a) Dollar value of the HPC usage
e.g. made $$$ in new revenues, saved $$$ in costs, made $$$ in profits, etc.
b) Scientific or engineering accomplishment
e.g. discovered how xyz really works, develop a new drug that does xyz, etc.
c) Value to society as a whole
e.g. ended nuclear testing, made something safer, provided protection against xyz, etc.
… and the investment in HPC that was required (in order to calculate the ROI)

5. The Judgment Process Has To Be Clear, Fair And Transparent
The ranking of the accomplishments would be done by only HPC USERS, following very specific rules.
A three step process is proposed:
First the submission has to be complete with a clear “Value” shown
Secondly, a quick assessment could be made to see that it is a realistic assessment of the value/returns -- We suggest that the HPC User Forum steering committee could be a starting point
Then the final evaluation would be by experts in the specific area/discipline

6. Award Types for Different Categories
For SMBs:
Awards would include CPU hours, software and consulting time
For Mainstream HPC Sites:
A Trophy or Certificate at various events such as HPC User Forum, vertical conferences, SC and ISC
Awards certificates would include the logo’s of all organizations involved
Winners would be invited to present their success at HPC User Forums, SC and ISC and other venues
Partner publications would help run the awards PR

7. List of Potential Press / Media Partners

8. Implementation Plan Ideas: Timing
Launch the concept and plan at the September HPC User Forum
SC10 for the official announcement of the program – and ask for submissions
Target the next ISC11 to announce the first awards
Or a timing that works well for the press partner

9. Questions? Please email:
Or check out:

10. Additional Data Will Be Collected
Along with each submission, data would be collected about the use of HPC and the computers used:
--> How many CPU hours, how many core hours, total CPUs used, length of time for the job run, number of interactions ran, people involved, etc.
--> OEM of the computer, OEM of the processors, OEM of the OS and middleware and applications, OEM of the interconnects and Storage
Price (or price band) of the system would also be critical to collect
Total amount invested in HPC to obtain the results