Microsoft today (9 June) confirmed it has released its Windows Computer Cluster Server (CCS) 2003 to manufacturing and has scheduled an early August release date for systems based on the operating system.

The software giant revealed an impressive list of partners and customers at a London event. IBM, HP and Dell will provide systems while customers lined up include HSBC, BAE and the universities of Southampton and Queen’s, Belfast. Software partners include MathWorks and Platform Computing.

Customer organisations said usability and integration were key attractions. Professor Danny Crookes of Queen’s said the arrival of CCS would mean that supercomputing would be opened up to “people who can just about manage a desktop PC”.

Crookes added: “We conducted a survey and found a lot of our people didn’t have any knowledge of Linux and Unix and they didn’t want to have any either.”

Jamil Appa, group team leader for technology and engineering services at BAE, said, “We want our designers to be innovators rather than drivers of computer systems.”

Professor Simon Cox of the University of Southampton said CCS was ideal for “people who have to do a very specific job. You push the button and all the stuff happens underneath.”