Agency Buys Another Cray Supercomputer

The Boulder, Colo.-based National Center for Atmospheric Research has acquired an additional Cray supercomputer after Minnesota-based Cray Research, the last U.S. supercomputer manufacturer, blocked the federal agency’s plans to purchase a Japanese-made NEC supercomputer. NCAR director Bill Buzbee said his agency needed to buy some additional computing power while the federal courts and the Commerce Department act on Cray’s dumping complaint, which accuses the Japanese giant of underpricing its four sophisticated SX-4 vector supercomputers by $65 million. NEC denies the charge. The Commerce Department is due to release its findings Feb. 24, and the Court of International Trade is considering a lawsuit by NEC accusing Cray and Commerce officials of colluding against foreign companies. The research agency acquired the computer last month.