In the ever-changing world of technology, it’s not just small and large companies that have to evolve. Military branches also must adapt to these technological advancements in fear of being left behind compared to other world powers.
Big Data is Important in Military and Business Alike
The collection and analyzing of large amounts of data is becoming increasingly important for organizations of all sizes, including the military. This constantly changing landscape is requiring military personnel to make large changes in the types of devices that they purchase. Military personnel are leaning towards more powerful and rugged systems that are built to process large amounts of data extremely quickly.
Introduction of GPUs and Flash Memory
The use of graphical processing units (GPUs) and flash memory has changed the way that the military is able to quickly access and process large amounts of data. GPUs allow computers to process huge amounts of data extremely quickly. The more GPUs that are present in a system, the more data can be processed. Consumer-grade computers do not usually have the capacity to support more than a few GPUs, which is not sufficient for most military operations. Through the use of rugged systems and embedded single board computers using PCI Express slots, the military is able to harness an almost unlimited amount of GPUs for any task at hand.
Flash storage is a type of memory that allows data to be stored and accessed extremely quickly. Even with a fast computer processor, if the storage system is slow, it will instantly create a bottleneck. Typical rotating disks store data at around 12ms, and flash storage store data at roughly .1ms. While flash storage is much more expensive than traditional rotating disks, its reliability is much better and its speed cannot be questioned.
DoD Currently Developing an Automated Intelligence Program
In order to get a handle on all that is changing in the computing world, the Department of Defense is in the process of designing a program focused on automated intelligence, which will be used by every branch of the military. This program will likely benefit from all of the advancements of late seen with GPUs and flash storage.
Orion Technologies Offers Wide Array of Rugged Systems
At Orion Technologies, we’ve been working with military personnel for years to develop rugged systems that fit their needs. If you’re interested in learning more about what our company can do for you or your organization, feel free to contact us today at 407-476-2120.
