Clouds Ahead for IBM and Google

Computer processing cluster clouds, that is. Both companies have teamed up to promote the technology on college campuses.

The future is in parallel computing. So say the CEOs of both IBM and Google, who are converting their shared vision into a huge investment in college campuses to strengthen student understanding of the technology.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday that the companies would sink between $20 million and $25 million into hardware, software and services in parallel computing resources for college campuses. The reason: both say computer science schools underprepare students for dealing with the technology, which they predict will become increasingly important.

Parallel computing allows multiple, networked computers to crack away at the same task simultaneously, improving how quickly it can be completed. However, for programmers, parallel computing introduces a number of caveats and requires new techniques, hence the need for additional training.

Instead of putting separate installations at each university they plan to support, the companies will build one data center accessible to them all. The pilot schools will be the University of Washington, Carnegie Mellon University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Maryland.