IBM calls for more World Community Grid members
IBM calls for more World Community Grid members
Aug 24, 2005: IBM has made an appeal for new users to join the World Community Grid to help power math-intensive research that will unlock genetic codes underlying diseases such as cancer, HIV and Alzheimer's.
To join, users simply need to download a secure, free, and small software programme on their laptop or home computer, which allows the World Community Grid's agent to run in the background of each PC to drive the power for the research.
The Grid has already made computations that are equal to a single PC running continuously for more than 14,000 years. 83,000 people are currently members and it involves 130,000 machines, including 20 of the world's largest computers.
The Proteome Folding Project is one of the main projects being run by the Grid at the moment. This involves research of the shapes of proteins that will help researchers understand how proteins do the work they're supposed to and how diseases stop proteins from maintaining healthy cells.
Stanley Litow, the vice president of IBM Corporate Community Relations and the president of the IBM International Foundation, said that IBM's on demand grid technology has been applied to these humanitarian issues.
"We look forward to working with our employees, customers and the public to execute this exciting vision."
IBM donated the hardware, software, technical services and expertise to build the infrastructure for World Community Grid, and it also provides free hosting, maintenance and support.
The organisation is also open to new proposals for research projects.
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