IBM To Demo Web-based Search Of Human Genome Database Using 64-bit Java; IBM Delivers 64-bit Java on its AIX Operating System Ahead of Sun and HP

Business Wire, June 5, 2001

Business & Technology Editors

JavaOne 2001

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 5, 2001

IBM today announced that it will make 64-bit Java (R) technology available on its AIX (R) UNIX operating system.

With this offering, AIX leaps ahead of both Sun Solaris and Hewlett-Packard HP-UX, which have yet to make 64-bit Java technology generally available. Demonstrating this technology at the show was Micromass, a life sciences company that has developed tools for searching the Human Genome Database quickly via the web.

The use of 64-bit Java code provides a new dimension of scalability for data-intensive operations such as online libraries, large corporate databases and scientific computations, which require access to large amounts of memory. With 64-bit addressing, applications can access over four gigabytes of memory, improving overall application performance. Existing Java applications can be easily moved to the new 64-bit environment without recompiling or recoding.

"With virtually unlimited memory support, 64-bit Java is fast becoming a viable platform for everything from complex scientific applications to immense commercial workloads," said Tim Dougherty, director of e-business strategy, IBM. "Customers will appreciate the enhanced enterprise Java software capabilities of our robust AIX UNIX operating system and high performance eServer pSeries servers."

Micromass, the leading manufacturer of high-end Mass Spectrometers, has joined forces with IBM to offer hardware and software solutions for customers to manage, analyze and store information gathered by Micromass devices. As part of its offering, Micromass will release ProteinLynx Global SERVER, one of the first 64-bit Java applications for AIX 5L.

"Porting to AIX provides our customers with a robust and scalable platform for ProteinLynx Global SERVER," said Jeremy Batt, software director, Micromass. "64-bit Java technology allows us to search much larger databanks than ever before, making it possible to search the entire human genome database in one pass over the Web. This increased speed and performance for searches is vital to the scientists who depend on this data."

ProteinLynx Global SERVER is typically used by scientists involved in projects such as examining the difference between normal and diseased cells, for example cancer cells, in order to discover how diseases occur.

A scientist using Micromass equipment logs into a Web browser and submits mass spectrometry data obtained from a sample under study to ProteinLynx Global Server, running on an IBM eServer pSeries system with AIX. The program then searches through databanks containing millions of protein sequences that can be derived from genomic data. The scientist is then presented with a list of identified proteins that are contained in the sample as well as a list of the data for which no matches could be found.

Applications for this technology are wide and range from new drug discovery to cell research.

The IBM AIX Developer Kit, Java 2 Technology Edition, Version 1.3.0 for AIX 5L will be available at no additional cost from the IBM developer kit download site at http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/java/ in early July. With this release, customers can create and run 64-bit Java applications using Java version 1.3.0 APIs. The developer kit also features IBM's Just in Time Compiler (JIT) and Mixed Mode Interpreter as well as a re-engineered Java Virtual Machine (JVM), including an enhanced memory management subsystem designed to handle the large heap sizes possible with 64-bit Java technology.

IBM and Java Technology

IBM has invested significantly in Java technology since becoming one of the first Java licensees in 1995. That commitment continues today as the company directs resources toward the development of core Java technology, the enablement of IBM software with Java technologies, and Java-based solutions and services across all industries and geographies. Over 80 percent of the technologies in Java 2 Enterprise Edition have been developed by or in assistance with IBM. With over 3,000 Java developers, IBM's commitment to this technology is unsurpassed by any other company.

About IBM

IBM is the world's largest information technology company, with 80 years of leadership in helping businesses innovate. Drawing on resources from across IBM and key Business Partners, IBM offers a wide range of services, solutions and technologies that enable customers, large and small, to take full advantage of the new era of e-business. For more information about IBM, visit www.ibm.com.

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