How Cloud-Based Supercomputing Is Changing R&D – Harvard Business Review
The cloud has made the processing power of the world’s most powerful computers accessible to a wider range of companies than ever before. Instead of having to architect, engineer, and build a supercomputer, companies can now rent hours on the cloud, making it possible bring tremendous computational power to bear on R&D. But where should companies start? What kinds of projects could benefit from this investment? There are a few common uses that have proven value: evaluating new designs through cloud-based simulation instead of physical prototyping, simulating a product’s interaction with real-world scenarios when physically prototyping is impractical, and predicting the performance of a full range of potential designs. It also opens up the possibilities for new products and services, which would have previously been impossible or impractical.