IBM Research

Yorktown Heights, NY, May 24, 1999 -- The IBM Deep Computing Institute today announced open access to the source code for IBM Visualization Data Explorer*, a powerful software package used to analyze and create visual representations of data. With the release of the Data Explorer source code, developers can collaborate with IBM to make improvements to the software that will benefit the entire user community.

Data Explorer brings together dynamic computational and rendering tools in a programmable framework that enables users to rapidly create visualizations of highly complex data from disparate sources. Visualization is an often-critical component of deep computing analysis, combining with powerful computers and advanced algorithms to solve complex business and scientific problems.

"With Data Explorer, a picture can be worth a million words," said William Pulleyblank, Director of the IBM Deep Computing Institute. "This software can transform incredibly complex information into 3D images that make it easier to analyze data -- to uncover patterns, identify trends, and model "what-if" scenarios."

Data Explorer can be used to add visualization capabilities to existing applications. It is used by companies and institutions for applications in a large variety of visualization fields including computational fluid dynamics, medical imagery, computational chemistry, and engineering analysis. For example, it is currently being used to:

• Identify and manage portfolio risk worldwide for a large multinational banking group.
• Depict oil-flow simulations to improve drilling success-rates and increase reservoir yields.
• Piece together over 5,000 ceiling fragments from a 1,200-year-old temple in Peru.
• Help insurance agents identify opportunities to cross-sell product offerings.
• Visualize developing weather patterns to improve the accuracy of weather forecasts.

"IBM's open-source release of Data Explorer gives the developer community a tremendously rich set of visualization tools for data modeling and analysis," said Sid Karin, director of the San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) and member of the Deep Computing Institute Advisory Board. "Through our ongoing collaboration with IBM and the Deep Computing Institute, SDSC will help extend the benefits of such tools to the scientific community."

Data Explorer runs on systems ranging from UNIX**-based supercomputers and workstations to PC's and servers running Microsoft Windows** or Linux.** Data Explorer and its source code will be available for download from the Deep Computing Institute Web site at www.research.ibm.com/dci/software.html on May 26.

* Indicates a trademark or registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation.
** Indicates a trademark of the respective company.

Contact:
Charles Jenkins
IBM Corporation
914-945-3499
cejj@us.ibm.com