Lenovo and Intel have announced a new multiyear collaboration that will focus on accelerating high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) systems around the world.
Building on the pair’s long-standing partnership in the data centre world, the collaboration aims to speed the convergence of HPC and AI, developing products and services to help organisations tackle global challenges such as genomics, cancer, climate, space exploration and more.
As part of the agreement, Lenovo will be optimising Intel’s portfolio of HPC and AI hardware and software to serve as the foundation for its market strategy.
Already, the combination of second-generation Intel Xeon Scalable platform and Lenovo Neptune liquid cooling technology is producing results from joint engineering, utilising a unique combination of HPC IP from the tech giants.
“Our goal is to further accelerate innovation into the Exascale era, aggressively waterfalling these solutions to scientists and businesses of all sizes to speed discovery and outcomes. We are passionate in helping researchers solve humanity’s greatest challenges,” said Kirk Skaugen, executive vice president of Lenovo and president of Lenovo Data Center Group.
“Lenovo’s Neptune liquid cooling, in combination with the 2nd Gen Intel Xeon Scalable platform, helps customers unlock new insights and deliver unprecedented outcomes at new levels of energy efficiency.”
The collaboration will target three core areas, consisting of systems and solutions, software optimisation and ecosystem enablement, Intel said.
It will bring together key offerings from Lenovo’s portfolio, such as its TruScale Infrastructure, with Intel products, including Intel X architecture, Optane DC persistent memory, oneAPI programming framework, as well as both current and future generations of Intel Scalable Xeon CPUs.
The pair will also focus on optimising Lenovo software such as its LiCO HPC/AI stack for Intel’s next-gen technologies and alignment with its oneAPI framework, as well as enable DAOS advanced storage frameworks to help HPC and AI users run applications more efficiently.
Ultimately, the aim is to create the “new ecosystem for the convergence of HPC and AI”, including building joint “HPC and AI centres of excellence” around the world to further research and develop ground-breaking systems.
“Intel is laser-focused on helping our customers spur innovation and discovery through the convergence of AI with HPC,” said Navin Shenoy, Intel executive vice president and general manager of the Data Center Group. “Our extended collaboration with Lenovo combines the best of both companies’ innovations to drive our customers’ progress forward even faster.”
