MARANELLO, Italy, October 15 /PRNewswire/ --

- Desk-side supercomputing is poised to revolutionise automotive design
and engineering.

Two of the most dynamic, high-performance companies in the world joined
forces today when Ferrari SpA decided to use Microsoft Corp's newest
high-performance computing (HPC) technology to push the boundaries of
automotive engineering, design and development.

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Ferrari's sport department is one of the first companies to test
Microsoft's new high-performance computing system -- Windows HPC Server 2008.
With broad industry support from its partners and customers, Microsoft is
demonstrating the impact of high-performance computing in the automotive
sector.

New technology in HPC can be an invaluable tool to help maximise
efficiency, analyse risk and provide a lever for growth. Working in close
collaboration, Microsoft and Ferrari have developed a high-performance
solution for one of the most demanding industries. Windows HPC Server 2008
dramatically decreases deployment times, improving the ability for firms to
bring new products to market.

"Ferrari is always looking for the most advanced technological solutions,
and of course, the same applies for software and engineering," said
Piergiorgio Grossi, head of information systems at Ferrari. "We are
always focused on scouting new technologies that can give us a
competitive advantage. Windows HPC Server 2008 is very promising, and the
long-lasting collaboration with Ferrari will give directions to develop a
fast, familiar, high-performance computing platform for our users, engineers
and administrators."

"Companies have to be more efficient than ever with IT resources, but
they also need to maintain their position in a competitive marketplace," said
Chris Philips, general manager of the Windows Server and Solutions group at
Microsoft. "They require HPC solutions that deploy quickly, integrate in a
heterogeneous environment and scale from workstation to cluster."

"The launch of Windows HPC Server 2008 is just another step in our vision
to drive HPC mainstream," said Bill Laing, corporate vice president of the
Windows Server and Solutions group at Microsoft.

With the introduction of Windows HPC Server 2008, high-performance
computing in the automotive industry is now poised to drive major
improvements in the following:

-- Speed to market
    -- Predicting and preventing defects
    -- Improving collaboration
    -- Automating previously complex and arcane systems
    -- Gathering real-time information from vehicles on the road

The development of Windows HPC Server 2008 means that high-performance
computing -- once confined to CIA code-breaking and Pentagon war games -- is
about to become as readily available to auto designers and engineers as
laptop programs. The automotive industry is entering a period of profound
transformation, where high-performance computing capabilities will be at the
desk-side of those who innovate and test consumer vehicles, rather than
confined to just large, expensive and time-consuming centralised
computer-room operations.

Microsoft is delivering HPC solutions to top-tier European businesses and
institutions in the automotive, oil and gas, financial services, and academic
sectors, taking on some of the biggest clusters and demonstrating the broad
ecosystem of the platform. In addition, Microsoft is entering into
partnerships with major providers in the supercomputing space, such as
Advanced Micro Devices Inc, Cray Inc, Dell and HP.

Demand for HPC is being driven by a combination of increased performance
in processors per compute node, low acquisition price per node, and the
overall price and performance of compute clusters. These trends are driving
new customers to adopt HPC to replace or supplement live, physical
experiments with computer-simulated modelling, tests and analysis.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in
software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise
their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)

Microsoft has operated in EMEA since 1982. In the region Microsoft
employs more than 16,000 people in over 64 subsidiaries, delivering products
and services in more than 139 countries and territories.

This material is for informational purposes only. Microsoft Corp
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