Here is how some organisations are using the power of supercomputing and the cloud to solve real-world problems as well as prepare themselves for the digital-first future.
HPE helps Meteorological Service Singapore to advance weather forecasting
The Meteorological Service Singapore (MSS) is now using a new supercomputer built by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to advance weather forecasting and tropical climate research for Singapore and Southeast Asia.
Replacing MSS’ existing system, the supercomputer will deliver nearly twice as much performance and advanced capabilities across computing, storage, software and networking.
As climate modelling becomes increasingly complex due to new seasonal patterns, it requires faster, more sophisticated supercomputing capabilities. HPE’s supercomputing solutions accelerate weather forecasting across the globe to provide real-time analysis by delivering significant computational performance and end-to-end capabilities to model and simulate climate data.
The enhanced supercomputing power will help increase forecast skills through improved numerical model configurations and advanced data assimilation of ground-and space-based weather observations in MSS’ numerical weather prediction system called SINGV.
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SINGV was developed by MSS’s Centre for Climate Research Singapore (CCRS) through collaborations with UK Met Office and partners, and configured specifically for weather forecasts and climate applications in Singapore and the nearby region.
Additionally, the supercomputer will enable the use of modern forecast post-processing algorithms, using machine learning techniques, to improve the quality of forecasts. The enhanced computational power will also allow the further development of the following high-resolution models to deliver improved weather and climate products:
- Sub-kilometre scale urban modelling (uSINGV) to represent the urban environment more appropriately in weather and climate applications.
- Coupled ocean-atmosphere-landwave modelling system (cSINGV) to capture and improve the understanding of the strong feedback between the atmosphere, land and ocean, which have a significant impact on the weather and climate over the Southeast Asia region.
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“At CCRS, our scientists and software engineers are committed to developing advanced modelling systems and examining complex data to provide timely weather forecasts for our nation – which due to the island’s unique geological positioning, often experiences various weather processes daily.
“After collaborating with HPE to design the new supercomputer, our research centre will gain a faster system with next-generation technologies to advance modelling and simulation tools, while introducing new capabilities to test and apply future types of applications for deeper research methodologies,” says Professor Dale Barker, director at CCRS.
Prudential and Google Cloud to enhance health and financial inclusion across Asia
Prudential has announced that it is working with Google Cloud to make healthcare and financial security more accessible across Asia.
The insurance group will leverage Google Cloud’s data analytics capabilities, secure and sustainable infrastructure, and the broader Google ecosystem to accelerate its digital transformation and enhance the user engagement of its health and wealth platform, Pulse.
Pulse is part of Prudential’s multi-channel strategy to make healthcare more accessible and increase financial inclusion. The app provides users with access to services such as health risk assessment and online doctor consultation to help them better manage their health needs, as well as digital wealth tools to make financial decisions simpler.
This announcement deepens the existing relationship between Prudential and Google that began in 2019. Prudential is using Google Maps in the Pulse application. Further projects with Google Health, Document AI and Fitbit are also being explored to enhance efficiency, functionality and user engagement.
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Prudential expects to benefit from Google’s suite of data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning tools — such as Kubeflow, Looker, BigQuery and Vertex AI — to enhance customer interactions and provide more personalised, accurate healthcare information and education to Pulse app users.
In the longer term, Prudential will look to adopt Google’s AI across a broader digital strategy to simplify accessing insurance, drive greater efficiency, and increase agent productivity.
For example, Prudential aims to use insights generated by advanced analytics and AI tools to help its agents better understand the needs of their customers. It is also looking to improve customer experience by digitising the entire claims process to make submissions, assessments, and approvals more seamless and efficient.
“Harnessing technology, we want to empower people to live well for longer by making it easier for them to take care of their health and plan for their financial futures. Through this strategic partnership, we will leverage new technology solutions to make the Pulse platform more intelligent and engaging to reach out to more people across Asia, particularly those who cannot easily access health and financial information and services,” says Solmaz Altin, managing director for the Strategic Business Group at Prudential.
HSBC to scale its mission-critical systems with Oracle
HSBC has partnered with Oracle to accelerate its digital transformation. The bank will upgrade and migrate select database systems to Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer to support and scale the bank’s mission-critical systems and services.
Oracle Exadata Cloud@Customer is an Oracle Cloud Infrastructure service that provides a secure, highly-available cloud platform. This enables HSBC to continue using Oracle databases in support of its critical systems while retaining control of its data governance, thereby meeting data locality and security regulations.
The Oracle platform will also enable HSBC to use cloud automation to manage legacy applications and easily scale services according to the demands of customers and the local market.
“Our strategy is to digitise the bank at scale so that we can innovate faster for customers. Our collaboration with Oracle is important in advancing this transformation agenda. We chose Exadata Cloud@Customer primarily for its ability to offer well-known databases, with the benefit of a database-as-a-service platform, giving us the performance and operational agility we need as we continue to grow and diversify our business,” says Frank McGrath, HSBC’s chief technology officer.
Garrett Ilg, Oracle’s president for Japan and Asia Pacific, adds: “Financial organisations are adopting new technologies and transforming themselves to tap into new market opportunities while meeting demanding data residency and security requirements. We are working closely with HSBC to achieve this balance, enabling it to consolidate critical systems on a secure, scalable on-premises cloud platform and develop cloud-based services faster.”
This collaboration contributes to HSBC’s multi-year initiative to transform its technology infrastructure to speed up the development, delivery and scaling of new products and services, make its products more secure and available, and build digital capabilities and skills across its workforce.
