Central Michigan University Leveraging Supercomputing Power for Business Intelligence

Feb 28, 2002 and Apr 09, 2002 Michigan businesses struggling with large amounts of data can find "business intelligence solutions" in a new IBM eServer supercomputer at The Center for Applied Research and Technology at Central Michigan University.

CMU's acquisition of the IBM eServer p690, formerly code named "Regatta," is a tremendous step toward CMU becoming the state's leader in business intelligence research and development, said Robert Berry, assistant vice president for information technology. The IBM POWER 4-based UNIX system, funded by a Michigan Economic Development Corp. grant and partially sponsored by IBM, can take enormous amounts of critical data and analyze and produce efficient solutions for businesses.

"Businesses today are producing mountains of data, and their main challenge is how to maximize the value of it all," said Berry. "As one of the first universities in the nation to offer businesses supercomputing power for business intelligence, CMU is a new and much-needed resource for businesses, helping them to reap the benefits of high-powered data analysis.

"We are looking forward to working directly with businesses to share our technology and intellectual assets to solve real business problems at a greatly reduced risk to them," he said.

Lack of adequate data retrieval and analysis tools have plagued many Michigan businesses. The IBM supercomputer, which operates at billions of points per second, can efficiently gather, manage and analyze large amounts of raw data, offering businesses a competitive advantage through previously unattainable levels of data analysis.

In addition to helping meet the needs of Michigan businesses, the new supercomputing resources will enhance active learning opportunities for students and faculty as part of CMU's commitment, said CMU President Mike Rao.

"The acquisition of the IBM supercomputer represents CMU's support of business and economic development in Michigan," said Rao. "It is evidence of CMU's commitment to identify new and innovative relationships between the academic and business sectors in Michigan — to work together to grow and diversify the economy. In accomplishing this goal, we are also able to provide CMU students a unique opportunity to learn highly relevant skills applicable in a competitive work force."

Examples of business intelligence solutions can be found in a broad range of industries.

For instance, The Dow Chemical Co. could use CMU's system to mine corporate information. World-renowned scientist Donald Tomalia, who has a business at the center where he is developing applications for his recently discovered dendrimer biotechnology, may use the supercomputer to do molecular modeling and analysis for business and research needs.

Other users may include retail industries to analyze data about the socio-economic and cultural makeup of neighborhoods to decide where to display products to make them more appealing to customers. Resellers of music and mass media could analyze consumer databases for marketing purposes. The medical community could use it to find solutions to analyzing the various data sets required in its sophisticated record keeping system.

The IBM eServer p690 supercomputer will be installed in The Center for Applied Research and Technology at CMU, one of only 11 sites statewide designated by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. as a certified SmartZone. The City of Mount Pleasant and Middle Michigan Development Corp. have partnered with CMU in the development of the Mount Pleasant SmartZone, designed to boost high-tech business development in central Michigan.

Other technology sponsors for the center include SAS Institute Inc. and The Dow Chemical Co.

"CMU is at the forefront of an exciting new trend and what stands to be a mutually beneficial relationship between businesses and academia," said IBM Vice President Peter Ungaro. "Powered by the best and most powerful IBM technologies, CMU research and development can couple with businesses to achieve phenomenal results while providing students and researchers with a real world proving ground."

"IBM has an active role in helping us assess our research agendas and recruit additional businesses to The Center for Applied Research and Technology," said Berry. "All of our technology sponsors have a significant interest in the further research and development of business intelligence systems. At CMU,these partners have access to a continual pool of graduate and undergraduate students who understand the business dynamics and strategic initiatives of business partners."

from the Center for Digital Government and IBM Higher Education Team April Newsletter