IBM's Broadband Engine Computer

IBM has announced the Cell Broadband Engine, or Cell BE, the first of its own hardware to use the newly developed Cell chip, which was co-created by Sony, Toshiba, and IBM, and will first debut in Sony's PlayStation 3 console, due out later this year. It may also be included in some select Toshiba HDTVs this year. Before today's announcement, Cell's only assignment outside of Sony and Toshiba had been specialized medical and defense computers made by Mercury Computing Systems Inc.

The Cell Broadband Engine is a "blade" computing system made up of different thin processors used to do different tasks. The inclusion of the Cell will allow for the system to handle extremely processor-intensive graphics applications, which is a speciality of its architecture. The Cell BE was one of several BladeCenter products unveiled at a New York press conference today, and is designed to "accelerate key algorithms like 3D rendering, compression, and encryption, to help companies create and run highly visual, immersive, real-time applications."

The Cell BE-based servers will first be available for purchase in the third quarter of 2006. No pricing structure was announced. To know more, visit IBM Press Room.

[Photo: IBM researcher Ronald Ridgeway examines a new IBM computer containing the powerful Cell microprocessor]