Fujitsu to provide AIST's "ABCI," the world's largest computational infrastructure for AI processing via Fujitsu Computing as a Service (CaaS)

Dec 23, 2022 10:13 JST

Source: Fujitsu Ltd

TOKYO, Dec 23, 2022 - (JCN Newswire) - Fujitsu today announced that it will start to offer a wide range of GPU computing resource services for the AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure ("ABCI")(1), the world's largest computational infrastructure for AI processing built and operated by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (hereinafter AIST)(2) via Fujitsu Computing as a Service (hereinafter "CaaS"), Fujitsu's service portfolio that helps lower the barrier to access advanced computing and software technologies.

Figure: Overall image of CaaS

With the new service, Fujitsu aims to support companies in accelerating their R&D activities and improve their productivity using AI and HPC technologies. Leveraging the extensive GPU computing resources of ABCI, Fujitsu will provide applications for CaaS that will contribute to the solution of a wide range of societal issues, including in fields like drug discovery, material analysis, logistics, and natural disaster simulation, thereby contributing to strengthening Japan's industrial competitiveness.

Fujitsu plans to offer the new service to the Japanese market in April 2023.

The new service will be launched as part of Fujitsu's vision for "Hybrid IT" to realize digital infrastructure for a connected society, a Key Focus Area under Fujitsu Uvance, Fujitsu's portfolio of global solutions to achieve a sustainable world.

Accelerating the implementation of cutting-edge technologies in society and contributing to the enhancement of Japan's industrial competitiveness

With the aim to accelerate AI development in Japan, AIST in 2018 launched "ABCI", one of the world's largest computational infrastructures. ABCI has since been used by many Japanese companies with remarkable results. By providing ABCI's GPU computing resources via Fujitsu's CaaS, Fujitsu aims to enable more companies, including domestic Japanese companies that do not have specialized expertise, to utilize advanced and large-scale computing technologies, and ultimately to accelerate the social implementation of cutting-edge technologies and enhanced industrial competitiveness.

Outline of CaaS

Fujitsu offers CaaS as a cloud service portfolio including high-performance computing (HPC) and AI technologies as well as Fujitsu's quantum-inspired Digital Annealer.

By offering computational resources including ABCI's GPU and its world-class computational and data processing capabilities via CaaS, Fujitsu will enable users to perform rapid processing of large-scale simulations that could not be realized in conventional on-premise computing environments.

Toshiaki Ariyama, SVP, Head of Uvance Core Technology Unit, Fujitsu Limited, comments:
"To solve Japan's increasingly complex societal issues, cooperation between the public and private sectors is essential. I believe this initiative can serve as a role model for such cooperation. I am confident that through these efforts, Fujitsu will further accelerate the realization of a sustainable society in which everyone can realize their goals."

Dr. Satoshi Sekiguchi, Senior Executive Officer, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, comments:

"We launched ABCI in August 2018, and thanks to its high computing performance, it has been utilized in Japan's advanced AI R&D and application demonstrations. By incorporating ABCI into Fujitsu's services, we hope that ABCI will be used by more companies, and that its cutting-edge technology will contribute to the acceleration of social implementation."

(1) AI Bridging Cloud Infrastructure :
A service launched by AIST in August 2018 to promote the social implementation of AI as a large-scale AI cloud computing system that can be used by general enterprises.
(2) National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology :
Location: Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, Japan; President and CEO: Kazuhiko Ishimura

About Fujitsu

Fujitsu's purpose is to make the world more sustainable by building trust in society through innovation. As the digital transformation partner of choice for customers in over 100 countries, our 124,000 employees work to resolve some of the greatest challenges facing humanity. Our range of services and solutions draw on five key technologies: Computing, Networks, AI, Data & Security, and Converging Technologies, which we bring together to deliver sustainability transformation. Fujitsu Limited (TSE:6702) reported consolidated revenues of 3.6 trillion yen (US$32 billion) for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2022 and remains the top digital services company in Japan by market share. Find out more: www.fujitsu.com.

Sectors: Cloud & Enterprise