New High Performance Computing Software Development Kit for AMD Opteron™ Clusters Includes Compilers and Tools from PathScale and Absoft

Business Wire, August 2, 2005

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- Today Absoft Corporation announced general availability of its new High Performance Computing Software Development Kit (HPC SDK) optimized for clusters based on AMD's (NYSE:AMD) 32- and 64-bit AMD Opteron(TM) processors running Linux and featuring top-performing Fortran and C compilers from PathScale.

The Absoft HPC SDK is a complete solution for software developers to compile, run, debug, and optimize high-performance applications. It includes Fortran and C/C compilers from both PathScale and Absoft, debuggers, math libraries, and other supporting development tools. The SDK is configured to provide the simplest installation and the highest performance on AMD Opteron processor-based clusters. It is the only commercially available HPC SDK that combines tools from different vendors to provide customers with the very best solution available.

"Over the years we have seen the number and variety of parallel programming environment products change, but few have delivered on the promise of end-user productivity as does the Absoft HPC SDK for Linux clusters," said George Delic, Ph.D., CEO, HiPERiSM Consulting, LLC, an early reseller for Absoft's new line of HPC SDKs.

The HPC SDK includes the industry's leading software tools optimized for the AMD Opteron and is preconfigured for the easiest possible installation. Customers can begin using the HPC SDK to leverage their existing hardware and software investments in just 3 easy mouse clicks. Absoft Corporation is the single point of contact to simplify all pre-sale, post-sale and technical support questions related to the HPC SDK.

PathScale and Absoft have executed a special Reseller Agreement whereby Absoft is reselling PathScale's EKOPath Compiler Suite, EKOPath C/C Compiler, EKOPath FORTRAN 77/90/95 Compiler, and OptiPath MPI Acceleration Tools bundled with other products from Absoft, including Absoft's market-leading Fx2 Debugger which is fully compatible with PathScale's products. The PathScale products have been enabled with Absoft's Common License Manager (CLM) which enables the PathScale software to be sold for multiple-user Floating Network Licenses very popular in laboratories and other environments with shared computing resources such as clusters. Absoft and PathScale have also agreed upon terms whereby Absoft will sell PathScale products standalone, including both subscription-based licenses and perpetual licenses.

The HPC SDK components include PathScale's Fortran and C/C compilers which generate the industry's fastest executable code for AMD Opteron processors, Absoft's Fortran 95 compilers for multi-platform compatibility, the Absoft Fx2 debugger for improved F95/C/C debugging, Absoft's Common Installer for quick and easy installation, the Absoft Modules environment for 32-bit and 64-bit software control, Absoft's Common License Manager, MPICH2, LAM/MPI, Absoft Examples and Benchmarks, AMD's Common Math Library support and other numerical libraries, and 12 months free continuing support. Versions are available for SLES9 or RHEL4. Enhanced versions which incorporate additional third party tools such as performance profilers, additional numerical libraries, and parallel debuggers are under consideration.

"Absoft and PathScale have collaborated to develop the HPC industry's first complete set of commercial software development tools specifically designed for AMD Opteron processors," said PathScale CEO Scott Metcalf. "The PathScale EKOPath compilers included with the SDK have established themselves as the de facto standard for creating the fastest executable applications available on AMD64. Now developers can use the overall most cost-effective and highest-performing suite of solutions available for creating applications for the AMD64 environment."

"Our partnerships with industry leaders like PathScale, Intel, Apple, and IBM to create HPC SDKs for their cluster hardware solutions provide cluster customers with software development solutions which include the best-of-breed products available on the market today. The SDKs have top-performing compilers, debuggers, libraries, and other tools and a common look and feel which runs across all of today's leading HPC environments. Absoft combines the industry's best tools into a single point of contact for questions and support," said Absoft CEO Wood Lotz.

For special limited introductory pricing, please contact sales@absoft.com or call (248) 853-0050. For more information on this new product announcement, see: http://www.absoft.com/Products/Clusters/hpcsdk_pathscale.html

About Absoft Corporation

Celebrating 25 years of profitably providing software solutions, Absoft Corporation (Rochester Hills, Michigan) is a recognized leader in software development tools and solution bundles. Absoft provides Fortran and C/C compilers, debuggers, and related libraries and development tools to scientists and engineers worldwide who use Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X, and various Linux distributions on workstations and clusters built around IA32 / x86, x64, and POWER(R) processors, through longstanding relationships with AMD, Apple, IBM, Intel, and Microsoft, among others. Absoft leads the High Performance Computing sector with its recently announced HPC Software Development Kits for growing variety of cluster configurations. Absoft products are distributed worldwide.