Bull and AVL together help to reduce the effects of vehicle emissions

AVL, the Austrian automotive software vendor, has chosen a Bull NovaScale cluster to create a wide range of simulation tools to optimize engine combustion and reduce emissions

AVL's choice is proof of Bull's drive to democratize high-performance computing (HPC), with the aim of helping enterprises accelerate the process of innovation

Paris, June �12,�2007�-

The pressure on the automotive industry to increase both the efficiency and the mileage of their vehicles while reducing the environmental impact of vehicles, especially in the area of emissions, has led AVL LIST GMBH in Austria to strengthen its business partnership with the European IT company Bull in the area of advanced simulations.

AVL develops and improves all kinds of powertrain systems, and is an expert partner to the automotive industry. AVL offers high-tech solutions in three main areas:

Easy-to-use and accurate simulation tools for the engine, powertrain and vehicle development process
Instrumentation and test systems
Development of powertrain systems for passenger cars, commercial vehicles and even racing cars

To run its simulation software on the best computing platforms available, AVL-AST has chosen Bull NovaScale clusters both for its own computing requirements and for porting and certifying its simulation software suite, best known for the AVL FIRE application.

The new Bull NovaScale cluster - equipped with the 64-bit architecture of Intel's Xeon� 5100 and 5300 processors - satisfies the need to support very large computational models. This allows the engine and automotive developers to achieve the advances needed today, by increasing the resolution of their computational models and the accuracy of simulations.

"The combination of a powerful and flexible Bull NovaScale cluster 400 with leading-edge AVL Fire software will give the automotive industry the ideal solution to address its ever-increasing needs. Bull - working with AVL - is setting the pace in HPC and really demonstrating a commitment to sustaining world-class industries," said Benoit Hallez, Director of Bull's HPC business unit.

New software tools are becoming much more accurate when it comes to simulating the real-world behavior of finished products. As a result, 'virtual prototypes' are gradually starting to replace their physical counterparts. This is a challenge which AVL can respond to by supplying a wide range of simulation tools with co-simulation capability - from IC engine combustion to entire vehicle thermal management systems, and from piston and piston ring dynamics to vehicle optimization of fuel consumption and emissions.

About AVL

AVL is the world's largest privately-owned and independent company for the development of powertrain systems with internal combustion engines as well as instrumentation and test systems. The high-tech company AVL employs 3,440 people worldwide. Turnover in 2005 was €507 million. Close contact with the client is guaranteed through affiliates and representatives in all major countries.

With its high-tech expertise and industry reputation, AVL is a well-known host of conferences for automotive developers. The International Advanced Simulation Technologies User Meeting 2007 will take place in Graz on 11 and 12 June 2007.

About Bull

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Bull is a leader in secure mission-critical digital systems. The Group is dedicated to developing and implementing solutions where computing power and security serve to optimize its customers' information systems, to support their business.

Bull operates in high added-value markets including computer simulation, Cloud computing and 'computing power plants', outsourcing and security.

Currently Bull employs around 9,000 people across more than 50 countries, with over 700 staff totally focused on R&D. In 2011, Bull recorded revenues of €1.3 billion.

For more information visit: http://www.bull.com
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