1887
Volume 24, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 0263-5046
  • E-ISSN: 1365-2397

Abstract

Edward V. Hawes, CEO, vCompute, and Nick Weston, director of oil and gas, Sun Microsystems, explain the concept of utility computing and the opportunities it presents for companies of every size in the E&P business. The ‘Utility computing,’ or the delivery of compute power as a service, is now a reality. Although many have questioned the feasibility – and even the value – of such services, vendors today are rolling out utility computing offerings that are changing the IT landscape for companies worldwide. Here we explore the benefits of utility computing, not only to the individual customer, but also to the industry as a whole. It will outline the questions that a customer should ask when considering a utility computing model, as well the steps that a customer should take once a decision has been made to purchase utility computing power. Levelling the playing field We are entering a new age of computing that will redesign the IT world more than any other wave of advancement in computing technology. Think for a moment about the implications of massive amounts of computing resources that can be easily and cost-effectively accessed by anyone or any company that needs them. One of the major results is that smaller organizations, in service markets that need computing resources to compete, can now effectively bid work against the biggest companies. With the IT resources of a much larger company available to them, only when needed, even the smallest organization can have worldwide reach. One of the key benefits to the industry of this utility computing model is the level playing field it creates, fostering the growth of ideas and technology from companies large and small. In the seismic data processing world, for example, smaller geoscience companies that have limited compute resources can now take on larger contracts to process and interpret geophysical data by supplementing their compute environments with utility compute power. Another example would be in the area of reservoir simulation: with easy access to a very large compute cluster, smaller companies will be able to perform more detailed and precise reservoir simulations that previously have only been available to companies that owned and maintained large internal compute farms. The ability to quickly access huge amounts of computing resources on a short term basis is invaluable to many markets. Any organization that utilizes high performance computing can benefit from immediate access to additional resources, whether its specific focus is in seismic processing or reservoir simulation.

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/content/journals/0.3997/1365-2397.24.1.26811
2006-01-01
2024-03-28
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  • Article Type: Research Article
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