Sun Microsystems is to build the world’s first online
computer processing exchange, allowing companies to buy computing
power for specific tasks.
Sun has gone into partnership with online stock exchange
Archipelago Holdings. The pair will trade computer processor power,
in a similar way utility companies sell electricity or gas over
industry exchanges.
Based on Sun’s grid computing solutions and Archipelago's
electronic matching technology, the companies plan to introduce a
type of electronic trading in which companies bid for computing
power.
Sun said, "Being able to dynamically bid for open compute cycles
will provide companies across the globe with unprecedented
flexibility in planning for the purchase and use of compute power.
This is a new paradigm in computing where companies can access an
unlimited number of CPUs as they need them."
"As the demand for computing power increases we see great
potential in building an exchange for trading CPU usage cycles,"
added Steve Rubinow, Archipelago Exchange chief technical
officer.
Earlier this week Sun announced a utility computing service,
including $1 per CPU per hour and $1 per Gbyte grid storage
deals.
The two companies are expected to roll out the computing
exchange later this year.