SAN JOSE, Calif. -- ClusterWorld Conference & Expo, the world's premier event on clustered solutions in commercial, research and academic computing, has announced the winners of the first Excellence in Cluster Technology awards at ClusterWorld Conference & Expo, held this week at the San Jose Convention Center. The awards, presented in conjunction with Linux Clusters Institute, recognize clustering products and technology innovations by ClusterWorld exhibitors. The awards program is the first industry effort to recognize the many breakthroughs in clustering technology that have reshaped the IT landscape in recent years and brought supercomputing power to all new markets. Judging this year's entries were: Frank Gilfeather, Interim Associate Vice Provost for Research and Professor of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of New Mexico; M. Patrick Goda of Los Alamos National Laboratory and architect of the Space Simulator and LOKI clusters; John A Goebel, a Senior Developer at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC); David Morton, Technical Director of the Maui High Performance Computing Center; and Henry Neeman, Director of the OU Supercomputing Center for Education & Research (OSCER). Divided into nine categories, the Excellence in Cluster Technology awards represent major areas of innovation in the clustering market for GRID, HPC and HA computing. The award winners are: -- Best of Show: AMD -- Opteron Models 240, 242, 244 -- Cluster Management/Monitoring Solutions: Linux Networx -- Integrated Cluster Environment (ICE) -- Interconnects: Topspin Communications -- Topspin 90 Switched Computing System -- GRID Solutions: Sun Microsystems -- Sun ONE Grid Engine -- Storage Solutions: DataDirect Networks -- SwiftCluster version 1.0 -- Developer Tools: Intel -- C++ and Fortran Compilers for Linux, version 7.1 -- Software Stack/Distribution: SuSE -- SuSE Linux Enterprise Server 8 -- 32-Bit Turnkey Solution: IBM -- IBM eServer Cluster 1350, version A -- 64-Bit Turnkey Solution: Microway -- Microway Navion -- Judges were so impressed by entries in this category that they elected to award Honorable Mentions as well to Aspen Systems for its Aspen Systems Glacier 12 Beowulf Cluster and to Racksaver for its BladeRack. "The Excellence in Cluster Technology awards are the new industry standard for innovation in clustered systems," said Adam Goodman, CEO of QuarterPower Media, publisher of Linux Magazine and producer of ClusterWorld Conference & Expo. "These products and companies represent the very best solutions available to customers who require clustered systems. The developers should be applauded for their accomplishments."