PLDT Enterprise augments JPA Freight Logistics operations with connectivity boost

 

Front row (L-R): Jea-Anne Pauline B. Alday, Finance Officer of JPAFLI; Jess Aron Sinio, Relationship Manager of PLDT; Gerardo S. Alday, CEO and President of JPAFLI; Natividad B. Alday, Chief Finance Officer of JPAFLI

The country's largest integrated telecommunications company PLDT, through its business unit PLDT Enterprise, and JPA Freight Logistics, Inc.'s (JPAFLI) recently signed a partnership that will help boost the latter's business operations expansion through fast and reliable enterprise-grade connectivity.

 

Through the partnership, PLDT will connect JPAFLI with iGate, or Dedicated Internet Access service, which will help them further build their operations and service their customers better. This enterprise-grade solution provides businesses with guaranteed bandwidth, reliable and managed internet connectivity suitable for running bandwidth-intensive applications, hosting rich-media content, and utilizing mission-critical communications.

 

Since 2009, PLDT has been a partner of JPAFLI and remains committed to deliver a wide array of solutions that enable business owners to adapt to evolving technological needs. 

  

According to Mitch Locsin, PLDT VP & Enterprise Group Head says that with this digital upgrade for JPAFLI. “We would like to thank JPAFLI for their continued trust in PLDT Enterprise and we express our commitment to serve their needs. With our services, they are assured of an unmatched connectivity capability to enable their day to day operations.”

 

Another benefit of an iGate service is its guaranteed service experience. This means that JPAFLI receives uninterrupted 24/7 customer service and stringent service level agreements.

 

JPA Freight Logistics, Inc., formerly JP Trucking Services, was established in 2004 as a cargo and freight company. It now boasts of having 55 trucks and 14 units of 40 feet chassis trailers used in container vans, with plans to expand into warehousing and distribution.

 

Gerardo Alday, CEO and President of JPAFL, elated with the continued partnership with PLDT Enterprise, says that “the digital upgrade was definitely needed for JPAFL especially with the global pandemic. Monitoring for our tracking services and communication with customers were essential, and PLDT being the biggest player in the telecommunications industry was the only option for us, assuring us of fast and stable internet connection, and 24/7 customer service availability.”

 

For more information, visit pldtenterprise.com. 

 

 

Robinsons Bank wins Omni-Experience Innovator Award for RBank Sign Up

 

In creating a better normal for every Filipino, Robinsons Bank has accelerated its digital initiatives while continuing to put customers at the heart of their business development.

 

As a testament to this, Robinsons Bank was awarded the Omni-Experience Innovator Award for its RBank Sign Up in the recently concluded IDC Digital Transformation Awards 2020 Philippines held by leading IT market research and advisory firm International Data Corporation (IDC). Similarly, it was also recognized by the International Business Magazine as the Most Innovative Retail Banking Product -- Philippines 2020.

 

The RBank Sign Up app is one of the newest products launched during the pandemic as a response to the needs of many Filipinos. The Sign Up capability lets customers open a bank account through an all-digital and online process. With just one (1) ID card, e-KYC, and internet connection, customers are sure to have their account details within minutes of completing the application.

 

“Robinsons Bank takes customer-centricity seriously. Traditional banks develop processes just to re-engineer themselves internally but nowadays we are re-engineering primarily to improve our customer’s experience and to enable them more in a digitized environment,” Mr. Ramon Abasolo, RBank's Chief Digital Officer explains that one of the main drivers for this initiative is to service the needs of their clients.

 

Through the app, customers can now open a Simple Savings Deposit Account, Regular Savings Account, Passbook Savings Account, and a Payroll Account with unique paths depending on the selected bank product.

 

“RBank Sign Up’s fully digitized and agile banking process helped clients utilize online banking at their own convenience. The variety of products offered in just one single app made it more beneficial not only for personal banking, but also for corporate clients and soon to sole proprietors and micro-enterprises. As the pandemic changed the way how we do banking, it only showed that they are more than ready for the future of banking.” Lilibeth Agudo, Market Analyst and DX Awards Lead for IDC Philippines, states.

 

Bank beyond the ordinary

 

RBank’s mobile banking has taken a new form with the new RBank Digital!

 

It has been designed to give users a smooth experience with its user-friendly and more responsive interface. Being a full-featured mobile banking application, the RBank Digital gives users the power to do all of their banking needs anytime and anywhere.

 

Easily enable the RBank QuickR to generate a unique QR code to accept payments or fund transfers via cashless and cardless transactions.

 

Skip the hassle of enrolling billers online because RBank Digital has over a hundred listed billers-- from utilities (electricity, water, cable) to insurance, and more!

 

Furthermore, there’s nothing more convenient than being able to monitor all accounts in one place. Manage your savings account, credit cards, Time Deposit accounts, and more in just a single RBank Digital account.

 

Ensuring safety and security at all times, the new mobile banking app has security features which users can enable and manage, allowing them to have full control of their bank accounts!

 

With the significant boost in digital transactions that the Bank has seen in the past months, expect more to come as Robinsons Bank continuously rolls out digital initiatives putting the customer at the center in all its innovations.

Robinsons Bank is the financial services arm of the JG Summit Group of Companies, one of the largest conglomerates in the Philippines. It currently ranks 18th among universal and commercial banks in the country, with assets amounting to Php 131.088 Bn as of December 2019. The Bank is recognized as the Fastest Growing Commercial Bank in the Philippines for 2020 by the Global Business Outlook; and the Best Commercial Bank in the Philippines for 2020 by the International Business Magazine. RBank was also recognized as an Outstanding Employer at the PH Best Employer Brand Awards 2020.

For inquiries and concerns, you may reach Robinsons Bank through its Customer Care Center at (02) 8637-CARE (2273) or domestic toll-free 1-800-10-637-CARE (2273); or visit its website at www.robinsonsbank.com.ph. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/robinsonsbank/ and join our Viber Community at www.bit.ly/RBankCommunity to get the latest updates.

 

Tony Blair Institute and Oracle Launch Africa Vaccine Management in the Cloud

The Tony Blair Institute (TBI) and Oracle have brought cloud technology to Africa to manage public health programs. Initially, Ghana, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone will use the new Oracle Health Management System to create electronic health records for their vaccination programs for yellow fever, HPV, polio, measles, and COVID-19, as soon as that vaccine is distributed to Africa. TBI and Oracle are in discussions with more than thirty other countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America that are evaluating using the same cloud system to manage their COVID-19 vaccination programs.    

“Since February of this year, the Africa Union and Member States have worked tirelessly together to address the impact of COVID-19 on the continent,” said Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, partnerships such as this one with Oracle, TBI and various governments are critical to the strengthening of Member State public health institutions, not only to incorporate innovative technology but to proactively and urgently harmonize the collection and sharing of important testing data across the continent.”

TBI has been providing policy advice and hands-on support to African governments as they tackle complex COVID-19 challenges. To address these challenges, TBI partnered with Oracle to deliver cloud technology to digitize and unify national health data starting with the management of vaccinations. The Oracle Health Management System creates an electronic health record in a cloud database for every person as they are vaccinated. This highly-secure system can be quickly configured to interoperate with each country’s existing technology and meet their most stringent data sovereignty requirements. Participating countries will have access and support for the system, free of charge, for the next ten years. 

“This is an immensely exciting and potentially ground-breaking initiative for recording information on all disease vaccinations and treatments in African nations,” said Tony Blair, Executive Chairman of TBI and the former Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. “Though Africa has coped well with COVID-19, it still needs to be part of international efforts to control the disease, including for international travel. That means vaccination of at least a significant portion of the population, requiring the highest quality data system so that everyone’s vaccine experience is recorded. Oracle can provide that system with data securely stored and owned by each country and is prepared to do so as part of a global philanthropic partnership. 

We will be living with COVID-19 for some years, and the recording of data will be vital in managing its impact and spread. And one thing is clear from this crisis: applying new technology solutions has applications for the digitization of the entire economy and is crucial for the acceleration of African development. This initiative is a great test case, and my Institute is proud to be part of it.”  

“The Oracle Health Management System is currently being used by the U.S. government and large healthcare and research organizations to monitor COVID-19 patient symptoms, responses to treatments, and to screen volunteers for COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials,” said Oracle Chairman and CTO Larry Ellison. “By working with Tony and his team over a period of a few months, we were able to deliver the exact same 21st century cloud technology to Ghana, Rwanda, and Sierra Leone. This is the first time vaccine data has been stored in a cloud database on a national scale. Africa is leading the way.” 

Bringing Cloud Technology for Electronic Health Records to Africa 

Ghana is now using the system to manage its yellow fever vaccine program and will follow with COVID-19 once that vaccine is distributed in Africa. 

 Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo said, “We have learned many lessons from this pandemic. The most obvious is that we have to urgently fortify our public health systems. This strategic partnership with Oracle and TBI is evidence of our drive to digitalize Ghana’s health systems for our people’s benefit.”

“The move from Ghana’s current paper-based vaccination campaign records to digital data management using the Oracle platform will enable our data to be easily accessible by authorized persons. The data will be more secure, and there will be no worry about lost cards as people travel,” added Dr. Kwame Amponsa-Achiano, Expanded Programme on Immunization, Ghana Health Service. 

 Hear more from Dr. Kwane Amponsa-Achiano at https://bit.ly/3fntnZf.

 Rwanda has prepared its system to support its HPV vaccine administration as soon as secondary schools reopen, with plans to support COVID-19 vaccinations and an immunity pass for citizens in the future.

 President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame called for a resilient health system as the best defense against future pandemics: “A COVID-19 vaccine will be a critical tool, and Africa must be able to access to its fair share of a vaccine once it is available. This partnership will deliver an innovative digital vaccine e-registry that signals the continent’s readiness to deploy the vaccine and to safely reopen our economies to trade and tourism.” 

 Sierra Leone is preparing to use the system to create digital vaccination records when its next routine Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) campaign begins. EPI is a global initiative to vaccinate for polio, diphtheria, tuberculosis, pertussis, measles, and tetanus. It is estimated to prevent two to three million childhood deaths globally each year from these diseases. Sierra Leone’s EPI program reportedly covers 95% of eligible children in that country. 

Chief Innovation Officer and Minister of Education of Sierra Leone, Dr. David Moinina Sengeh, noted, “The Government of Sierra Leone is committed to utilizing technology and innovation – digitizing services to improve service delivery for its citizens. Using our experience from Ebola, we were able to put together a robust National COVID-19 Response plan, which has technology, data, and innovation as core enablers. This collaboration with Oracle and TBI is significant not only for dealing with COVID-19 and broader health needs, such as EPI vaccinations but will be a key step in our country’s mission of digitization for all.” 

As countries begin vaccinating people for COVID-19, the Oracle Health Management System can be used to automatically create an electronic health record for every person vaccinated.  Once the COVID-19 vaccine is available, the Oracle Health Management System will track immunizations and provide recipients with a Digital Quick Response (QR) code. These QR codes will help Africa reopen its borders and economies by providing citizens the proof of immunization needed to move freely for work and travel.

 

About the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change

TBI’s Government Advisory Practice directly supports leaders in their on-the-ground fight against COVID-19, and our Policy Futures unit is delivering analysis and advice to help countries mitigate economic impact, source essential equipment, harness the power of technology and position themselves for the rebuilding to come. 

 The tech revolution can be accelerated in Africa and other emerging and developing countries, not only to deal with COVID-19, but also embedding robust health care systems that will benefit citizens, and beyond health, to digitize public services and the economy.

 About Oracle

Oracle offers suites of integrated applications plus secure, autonomous infrastructure in the Oracle Cloud. For more information about Oracle (NYSE: ORCL), please visit us at oracle.com.

ePLDT marks 20 years of being premiere data stronghold in PH

 ePLDT Inc., the country’s leading enabler of digital solutions, recently celebrated its 20th anniversary in the industry marking two decades of being the top digital enabler and cyber solutions partner for today's leading enterprises.

 

For the past decades, it has become one of the major catalysts of growth for the Philippines' digital economy where seamlessly securing and managing terabytes of data is its business, playing a vital role in the surge of digital information driving the lifeblood of government, industries, businesses, and homes.

 

"For an organization to continuously innovate and thrive for 20 years and become such a critical part of the country’s digital infrastructure is certainly not an easy feat. And it is in this regard that I feel honored to be part of this company," said Jovy Hernandez, ePLDT President & CEO and SVP & Head for PLDT and Smart Enterprise Business Groups during the Company's virtual townhall celebration for all its employees.

 

"I have gained a deeper understanding of the business—from our data center services, to our complex IT managed IT services and cyber security technologies—and quickly realized the many benefits our services can provide our dearest customers. Because that's our goal here in ePLDT: for us to put our customers at the very center and help solve their toughest challenges with our services and industry expertise."

 

A wholly-owned subsidiary and the ICT arm of PLDT, ePLDT has been the trusted name in data center services in the country.

VITRO Data Center remains to be the preferred collocation service facility of choice for Global Hyperscalers, digital content providers, telecommunication operators and various Enterprises.

 

Its proven track record of adhering to global standards and sustainability initiatives, maintaining and achieving service level availability levels, growing numbers of certified technical experts and innovative culture have undoubtedly fortified its stature as the leading and largest Data Center facility network in the country.

 

VITRO’s 10 Data Center facilities that are strategically located across the archipelago and having an aggregate capacity of over 9,000 racks and total power capacity of 70 Megawatts, continues to support and enable the needs of organizations to transform their business continuity and resiliency capability as we all move forward and face the new normal.

 

Beyond data center services, ePLDT is a true end-to-end managed service provider, offering cloud, managed IT, and cybersecurity solutions to the enterprise market. The company is a preferred partner of global technology brands in digitally transforming organizations to compete in today’s ever-evolving marketplace. More importantly, ePLDT’s expertise across various technology domains and industry segments enables it to deliver these solutions according to global best-practices.

 

"Despite all the hurdles we've seen, I'm proud of this organization for being more relevant and more valuable today—as we come up with better digital and ICT solutions that can help businesses in the future," said Hernandez.

 

He goes on thanking the people who have stayed with ePLDT through the years and have been crucial to bringing the Company where it is now, "this milestone would not have been possible without each and everyone of you. It is indeed our unity and camaraderie that drive us to do better and work harder. I hope that we all continue in this path and grow together as we usher in the next 20 years." #

 

New Surface for Business devices from Microsoft now available in PH

 

Microsoft made a big announcement today for people looking to invest on devices for leasure and work.  The Surface Pro 7 for Business and Surface Laptop 3 for Business are now available in the Philippines for enterprise and education institution customers via Surface Authorized Commercial Resellers Phil-Data Business Systems, Inc., Nexus Technologies Inc., Accent Micro Technologies Inc., Advance Solutions Inc. and ePLDT Inc. at a starting price of PHP 72,990.00 (VAT ex).

 

Microsoft Surface for Business products are especially designed to fit into the modern workplace. From light and agile devices that presents users the ability to work independently almost anywhere, to devices that can help the most of virtual meetings, Surface has a solution designed for every worker’s needs.  Designed with mobile productivity at its core, the latest Surface for Business line-up will feature products that are more versatile, more adaptable, and more personal.

 

“Created for the modern worker in mind, the new line-up of Surface devices offers unparalleled versatility, greater performance and multi-tasking capabilities that empower you to work from anywhere, anytime. We are pleased to share that the new Surface for Business devices are available in the Philippines especially for our enterprise and education customers,” said Microsoft Philippines Country General Manager, Andres Ortola.

Surface Laptop 3 for Business: Perfect Balance of Power and Elegance

The all-new Surface Laptop 3 for Business retains its iconic slim, sleek and lightweight design but is now twice as fast as previous generations, with faster multitasking and improved graphics.

Available in 13.5 inch Matte Black, the Surface Laptop 3 for Business features the latest 10^th Generation Intel® Core™ Processor for improved speed and performance. It is slim and lightweight -- weighs just 1,288G and comes with a durable rich, warm Alcantara® material keyboard.

With industry-leading typing comfort and all-day battery life1, Surface Laptop 3 is an ideal laptop that will keep your day running smoothly. With Fast Charging, it can be charged up to 80% in about one hour2. It is meticulously crafted with a 20% larger trackpad to make navigation easier and seamless.

Created for the modern worker, Surface Laptop 3 features Instant On, USB-C™ and USB-A ports and dual far-field Studio Mics for great Microsoft Teams calls and dictation in Microsoft Office. You can exercise more control over your sensitive information with a removable hard drive for data retention3.

Surface Pro 7 for Business: Same Versatility, Greater Performance

 Redesigned from the inside out, Surface Pro 7 for Business is more powerful than ever with the latest quad-core, 10^th Generation Intel® Core™ processor, making it 2.3 times faster than previous generations. With its greater performance, users can work and play their way virtually anywhere. Surface Pro 7 for Business comes in Platinum color.  With Fast Charging, all-day battery life4 and Instant On, Surface Pro 7 for Business offers high power, laptop-to-tablet versatility and brilliant high-resolution 12.3” PixelSense™ Display while remaining ultra-slim and light at just 775g. 

 

Surface Pro 7 for Business offers more options for connecting to displays, docking stations or charging accessories with an updated port selection of USB-A, USB-C™ and Surface Connect.

 

Transforming from laptop to tablet with the innovative, built-in kickstand and removable Surface Signature Type Cover5, users can jot down ideas in a more natural way and take their ideas to the next level.

 

Surface Pro 7 for Business is the perfect companion for everyday work life. Take a break from work and chill out with an HD movie or your favourite music on Spotify6, while experiencing the crisp, clear audio with Dolby® Audio™ Premium sound.

Surface for Business Accessories

 Complete your experience on Surface Pro 7 for Business with the new and improved Signature Type Cover (Black color), Arc Mouse (Platinum color) and Pen (Black color) that complement your style. The Surface Dock 2 transforms your Surface device into a desktop PC with a 199W power supply to charge Surface devices, plus USB-C® ports that support dual 4K monitors at 60Hz.

 Surface for Business

Surface for Business devices provides specific experiences and features built especially for commercial customers including enterprise-grade security, and leading modern management with Autopilot, Surface Enterprise Management Mode (SEMM) and Microsoft Intune. Windows 10 Pro comes standard on Surface for Business devices, offering additional built-in security and management features that lets our customers focus on running their business. In addition to the standard hardware warranty,

 Surface for Business customers get free Advanced Exchange - a warranty service with expedited device replacement, at no additional cost.

Availability and Pricing

Surface Pro 7 for Business and Surface Laptop 3 for Business are generally available from [1^st November 2020] via Surface Authorized Commercial Resellers Phil-Data Business Systems, Inc. Nexus Technologies Inc., Accent Micro Technologies Inc., Advance Solutions Inc. and ﷟ ePLDT, Inc. .

 

Surface Laptop 3 for Business, Surface Pro 7 for Business and Surface Accessories for Business will be available in the following configurations in the Philippines:

Model	SRP
·        Surface Pro 7 for Business i5/8GB/256 – International English (Available in Platinum)	PHP 72,990.00
·        Surface Laptop 3 for Business 13.5” i5/8GB/256 – International English (Available in Matte Black)	PHP 77,990.00
·        Surface Type Cover (Available in Black) ·        Surface Arc Mouse (Available in Platinum) ·        Surface Pen (Available in Black) ·        Surface Dock 2	PHP 7,290.00 PHP 5,150.00 PHP 5,075.00 PHP 14,999.00

*prices exclusive of VAT
*prices are exclusive of VAT.

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4 Up to 10.5 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2019 using preproduction software and preproduction Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM device. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors. See surface.com.

5 Sold separately

6 Spotify account required 

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1 Up to 11.5 hours of battery life based on typical Surface device usage. Testing conducted by Microsoft in September 2019 using preproduction software and preproduction 13.5” Intel® Core™ i5, 256GB, 8 GB RAM with Radeon™ Vega 9 Graphics Microsoft Surface® Edition devices. Battery life varies significantly with settings, usage and other factors. See surface.com.

2 Testing conducted at Microsoft in September 2019 using pre-production devices and Software. Tested with the inbox Surflink 60W PSU under controlled conditions. Device was powered on to desktop screen with default display brightness settings. Actual charge time will vary based on operating conditions. Measured at typical office ambient temperature of 23C.

3 Hard drive is not user removable. Hard drive is only removable a by skilled technician following Microsoft instructions.

AMD EPYC™ Processors and New AMD Instinct™ MI100 Accelerator Redefine Performance for HPC and Scientific Research

 During this year’s SC20 virtual tradeshow, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) is showcasing its leadership in the high performance computing (HPC) industry. It launched the new AMD Instinct™ MI100 accelerator with ROCm™ 4.0 open ecosystem support and showcased a growing list of AMD EPYC™ CPU and AMD Instinct accelerator based deployments, and highlighted its collaboration with Microsoft Azure for HPC in the cloud. AMD also remains on track to begin volume shipments of the 3rd Gen EPYC processors with “Zen 3” core to select HPC and cloud customers this quarter in advance of the expected public launch in Q1 2021, aligned with OEM availability.

The new AMD Instinct™ MI100 accelerator, is the world’s fastest HPC GPU accelerator for scientific workloads and the first to surpass the 10 teraflops (FP64) performance barrier . Built on the new AMD CDNA architecture, the AMD Instinct MI100 GPU enables a new class of accelerated systems for HPC and AI when paired with 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors. Supported by new accelerated compute platforms from Dell, HPE, Gigabyte and Supermicro, the MI100, combined with AMD EPYC CPUs and ROCm 4.0 software, is designed to propel new discoveries ahead of the exascale era.

“No two customers are the same in HPC, and AMD is providing a path to today’s most advanced technologies and capabilities that are critical to support their HPC work, from small clusters on premise, to virtual machines in the cloud, all the way to exascale supercomputers,” said Forrest Norrod, senior vice president and general manager, Data Center and Embedded Solutions Business Group, AMD. “Combining AMD EPYC processors and Instinct accelerators with critical application software and development tools enables AMD to deliver leadership performance for HPC workloads.” 

AMD and Microsoft Azure Power HPC In the Cloud

Azure is using 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors to power its HBv2 virtual machines (VMs) for HPC workloads. These VMs offer up to 2x the performance of first-generation HB-series virtual machines, can support up to 80,000 cores for MPI jobs, and take advantage of 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors’ up to 45% more memory bandwidth than comparable x86 alternatives.

HBv2 VMs are used by numerous customers including The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Beckman Institute for Advanced Science & Technology which used 86,400 cores to model a plant virus that previously required a leadership class supercomputer and the U.S. Navy which rapidly deploys and scales enhanced weather and ocean pattern predictions on demand. HBv2 powered by 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors also provides the bulk of the CPU compute power for the OpenAI environment Microsoft announced earlier this year. 

AMD EPYC processors have also helped HBv2 reach new cloud HPC milestones, such as a new record for Cloud MPI scaling results with NAMD, Top 20 results on the Graph500, and the first 1 terabyte/sec cloud HPC parallel filesystem. Across these and other application benchmarks, HBv2 is delivering 12x higher scaling than found elsewhere on the public cloud.

Adding on to its existing HBv2 HPC virtual machine powered by 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors, Azure announced it will utilize next generation AMD EPYC processors, codenamed ‘Milan’, for future HB-series VM products for HPC. 

You can see more about the AMD and Azure collaboration in this video with Jason Zander of Azure and Lisa Su of AMD. 

AMD Continues to Be the Choice for HPC 

AMD EPYC processors and Instinct accelerators have the performance and capabilities to support numerous HPC workloads across a variety of implementations. From small clusters at research centers, to commercial HPC, to off premise and in the cloud, to exascale computing, AMD continues to provide performance and choice for HPC solutions. 

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), CSC Finland and EuroHPC recently introduced a new pre-exascale system, LUMI. Based on the HPE Cray EX supercomputer architecture, LUMI will use next generation AMD EPYC CPUs and Instinct accelerators and is expected to provide a peak performance of 552 petaflops when it comes online in 2021, making it one of the fastest supercomputers in the world.

Beyond LUMI, AMD powered HPC systems continue to grow in volume. Since SC19, there have been more than 15 supercomputing systems announced using AMD EPYC CPUs, Instinct GPUs, or both. A highlight of the systems includes 

Chicoma – Los Alamos National Laboratory – this system is based on the HPE Cray EX supercomputer architecture and uses 2nd Gen AMD EPYC CPUs, combined with 300 terabytes of system memory for COVID-19 research, 

Corona – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory  – this system was recently upgraded with funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, adding nearly 1,000 AMD Instinct MI50 accelerators, pushing peak performance to more than 11 petaFLOPS,

Mammoth – Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory – the “big memory” cluster uses 2nd Gen AMD EPYC Processors to perform genomics analysis and graph analytics required by scientists working on COVID-19.

Northern Data – a distributed computing system in Europe that is using AMD EPYC CPUs and Instinct accelerators for large scale HPC applications such as rendering, artificial intelligence and deep learning, 

Pawsey Supercomputing Centre – Using the HPE Cray EX supercomputer architecture and future AMD EPYC CPUs and AMD Instinct accelerators, the supercomputer at Pawsey will be Australia’s most powerful supercomputer. 

In addition, AMD is also powering the following supercomputers: Anvil and Bell – Purdue University, Big Red 200 – Indiana University, Bridges 2 – Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center, CERN, European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, Expanse – San Diego Supercomputer Center, Goethe University Frankfurt, IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center, Jetstream 2 – Indiana University, Mahti – CSC, Mangi – University of Minnesota, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Red Raider – Texas Tech University, TinkerCliffs – Virginia Tech.

“With the Expanse supercomputer, our goal is to give scientists and researchers cloud-like access to a high-performance machine that can handle everything from astrophysics to zoology,” said Michael Norman, Director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center.  “The 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors have helped us achieve fantastic performance with Expanse, enabling our researchers to do more science than before. We also have a great collaboration with AMD and have worked together to create a forum for AMD HPC customers to share experiences, information and more, to better benefit HPC research.”

Paving the Path to Exascale Computing 

To help researchers start on the path to exascale, AMD has provided Oak Ridge National Labs access to the new AMD Instinct MI100 accelerator, which delivers a giant leap in compute and interconnect performance. The Instinct MI100 accelerator enables a new class of accelerated systems and delivers true heterogeneous compute capabilities from AMD for HPC and AI. Designed to complement the 2nd Gen AMD EPYC processors, and built on the AMD Infinity Architecture, the AMD Instinct MI100 delivers true heterogeneous compute capabilities from AMD for HPC and AI. 

“Frontier, powered by AMD, represents a huge increase in computational power compared to today’s systems. It’s going to allow scientists to answer questions that we didn't have the answer to before,” said Bronson Messer, director of science, Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility. “The ability to run molecular simulations that aren't just a few million atoms, but a few billion atoms, provides a more realistic representation of the science, and to be able to do that as a matter of course and over and over again will lead to a significant amount of important discoveries.”

AMD continues to provide the performance, capabilities and scale needed to power current and future HPC workloads, no matter if they are helping students at a research center, improving aerodynamic efficiency for an auto manufacturer, or providing valuable insights for critical medical breakthroughs.