TOKYO -- NEC will offer supercomputer technology in the $10,000 range, just a fraction of the cost of its standard wares, lowering the barriers to entry for smaller companies that want to crunch big data.
The Japanese company in January begins selling individual processor cards equipped with core components including a CPU. While its supercomputers usually come packaged with multiple processors installed in a server, offering cards a la carte lets buyers save money by using off-the-shelf servers. NEC expects demand from smaller businesses that can forgo top-of-the-line speed.
