AGMS.OB Provides High Performance Computing Solutions to Environmentally Conscious Customers
Angstrom Microsystems (AGMS.OB) provides Linux based products to customers demanding high computational power. The company designs, engineers, and manufactures the high performance solutions needed by computation intensive industries such as computer rendering, health and science, high tech, Wall Street, oil/gas, biotechnology and many others. Its customers include Pixar, Conoco Phillips, and Akami. To differentiate itself from competitors, Angstrom has positioned itself as an environmentally friendly solution provider.
To generate the high levels of computational power needed, Angstrom’s customers typically purchase multiple servers employing multiple parallel microprocessors. The multiple server/processor design causes a problem- it generates large amounts of heat. The servers must be cooled to keep them within tight temperature limits so that they operate properly. An insufficiently cooled server system can cause computational and reliability problems for users.
Traditionally, users have placed servers in air-conditioned rooms to keep them cool. As computing power requirements have increased, so has the need for additional levels of A/C to cool the servers. The increasing A/C requirement is becoming more burdensome to the environment.
Air conditioning has two main environmental drawbacks. First, A/C systems (fans, compressors, etc) require a great deal of electricity. Generating the additional electricity requires the increased use of coal-fired or natural gas fired power plants, which in turn increases carbon dioxide emissions. Second, some experts believe that when A/C refrigerant escapes into the atmosphere, as can happen during maintenance, it harms the ozone layer.
Angstrom’s solution to these concerns is to use a water-based system to cool the servers. In addition to being a more efficient cooling solution, water-cooling reduces the need for additional air conditioning, thus lowering carbon dioxide production and reducing other potential atmospheric damage. Angstrom now positions itself as the environmentally friendly alternative in server design. It encourages potential customers to be good global citizens and use Angstrom Green computing solutions to save energy resources, and reduce pollution and global warming.
