The European suite can span computer networks across corporations and borders

Dec 14, 2008 08:01 GMT  ·  By
Cross-corporate computer grids could be the next on-line hype over the next year
   Cross-corporate computer grids could be the next on-line hype over the next year

With the help of the new SIMDAT project, communications and data transfers between collaborating corporations will become much easier, the researchers behind it say. Currently, a common effort of two companies can only take place after months of setting up hardware and overcoming various engineering problems. And there is also the risk of data leakage, as the information is conveyed through the web, so it’s always exposed to hackers' attacks, and companies can expect massive damages at any time.  

"SIMDAT is the first project that really brought grid technology to industry. When we started the project, in 2004, there was the idea of grid tech in industry in principle but all the activities were more or less academic," says SIMDAT coordinating partner, Professor Dr Ulrich Trottenberg, the director of Fraunhofer SCAI.  

The most impressive feature of the new grid, a far more evolved relative of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) system, is the fact that it can link CPU processing power, hard disk space, databases and applications from any computer connected to it, regardless of its place in the world, and it can do so on multiple operating systems, from commercial to military and top secret ones.  

The system can also regulate itself, in that people or businesses that connect to it will receive whatever resources they need to complete their tasks, from whatever sources are available in the grid at the time, while simultaneously maintaining the users' access routes into the system safe from outside attacks. This basically opens the door for virtual organizations (VO), which can span numerous corporations worldwide, to provide a safe and easy-to-use financial operation environment.

Simulations show that, at the end of each transaction, the system automatically disconnects the users and the companies from their "round table," so, as far as users' experiences go, it's no different than sitting on their desktops or laptops and completing their tasks as usual. The main difference is that the grid will be able to supply vast amounts of processing power, as well as a virtually unlimited access to worldwide databases, which will make the whole trading process a lot simpler.  

Possible applications include themes of global interest, such as the establishment of a worldwide meteorological system, that would operate within a single set of measures, which would be universally valid. The aerospace and automotive industries, as well as pharmacology and medicine, could benefit from these advantages as well, as corporations would have a safe and secure environment that would further their collaboration substantially.