Cloud-based On-Demand
Engineers can now use the Pointwise CFD mesher and the EXN/Aero solver tools via an online platform in order to improve performance, accuracy, and save time and money. Pointwise Inc. and Envenio recently announced a co-licensing agreement to provide both products over the Nimbix High Performance Computing (HPC) cloud-hosted system.
Engineering consultants and engineers who work from multiple sites will particularly appreciate this co-licensing agreement and partnership. Engineers can access the web-based interface and cloud-hosted HPC platform from any location with internet access, paying only for the tool and computing time they actually utilize, thanks to a “pay as you go” business model.
Users pay only for the portion of the license they use rather than paying a high fixed cost for a site license that may see minimal use much of the time. Consultants and engineers at smaller companies can also employ tools and computing performance comparable to the resources large companies can afford. This approach provides access to HPC computational capability at economical rates and also avoids the high license fees for even a single seat or site license.
Although many cloud-based HPC solutions require an annual fee as well as usage fees based on the consumption of computer time (and sometimes a license fee in addition), with this approach, engineers can avoid many of the traditional costs. Engineers are not locked into annual contracts or long term arrangements, and billing occurs on a 30 day cycle with no requirements for annual agreements or licensing fees.
Engineers can reduce simulation times by a factor of 10 or 20 with this platform and these tools when compared to the traditional workstation-based approach. Users can analyze higher resolution models in a reasonable time, increasing the precision and accuracy of results. Consultants can visit customer sites, show clients the results of their analysis, and revise and recalculate those results in real-time during the customer’s visit. Clients will undoubtedly appreciate the improvements in development time accrued from the lack of having to calculate results “offline,” eliminating the need for subsequent and time-consuming meetings.