Microsoft Teams Up With Cray On Cloud Data Centre

Microsoft Corp. has teamed up with the supercomputing bellwether Cray Inc. to trim down the costs it incurred in running its cloud computing-based datacentres and increase their overall efficiency.

The supercomputing giant has asserted that the move would employ its own HPC signature property design in its cutting-edge system design, which involves high-density system packaging, the company said in an announcement.

Additionally, the duo will also collaborate in the fields of bringing breakthrough technologies in cooling systems as well as making power delivery systems more efficient, and thereby help in cutting the hardware and power costs down.

Touting the move, Chuck Morreale, Cray Inc.'s VP for custom engineering, said in a statement: "The results of the project have the potential to deliver significant cost savings for operating a cloud-computing datacentre".

The initiative marks first major step of Cray's custom engineering group into the commercial domain ever since it was formed back in the year 2008.

The group is responsible for developing special-purpose supercomputers for customers, making the use of the company's technologies, including the EcoPhlex liquid-cooling system, as well as delivering customised data management systems. 

The partnership between the two majors is aimed at addressing the concern of ever-increasing power usage by modern datacentres.

This comes crucial in the wake of Gartner's recent forecast that datacentres would account for quarter of total CO2 emissions from information technology.