Supertek Computers

Supertek Computers Inc. was a short-lived American computer company founded in Santa Clara, California, in 1985 by Mike Fung, a former Hewlett-Packard project manager. The company was established to design and sell comparatively low-cost minisupercomputers compatible with systems made by Cray Research, then a leading supplier of high-performance vector supercomputers. Supertek’s proposition was to reproduce much of the computational model and software compatibility associated with Cray machines in a smaller, air-cooled system intended to reduce the cost and infrastructure requirements of supercomputing. Its principal product was the Supertek S-1, a compact, air-cooled computer based on complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology. The S-1 was designed as a clone of the Cray X-MP vector processor supercomputer. It initially ran the Cray Time Sharing System operating system and was later available with a version of Unix. The machine represented an attempt to bring Cray-compatible vector computing to customers that might not have been able or willing to purchase a full-scale Cray system. Supertek reportedly raised US$21.4 million in venture capital, while approximately US$5 million was required to develop the S-1. Despite the substantial financing and the technical ambition of the product, commercial adoption was limited: only ten S-1 systems were sold. The company was acquired by Cray Research in 1990, ending Supertek as an independent computer manufacturer. Cray subsequently marketed the S-1 for a short period under the name Cray XMS. At the time of the acquisition, Supertek was developing the S-2, a system intended to clone the Cray Y-MP. Development continued after the acquisition, and the resulting machine was eventually launched in 1992 as the Cray Y-MP EL. Supertek therefore had a brief independent existence, but its engineering work became part of Cray’s product history. The company is best understood as a specialist high-performance-computing venture rather than a mass-market personal-computer brand.

Supertek Computers was founded in Santa Clara, California, in 1985 by Mike Fung, who had previously worked as a project manager at Hewlett-Packard. Its business objective was to create lower-cost minisupercomputers that could operate compatibly with Cray Research systems. During the 1980s, Cray machines were associated with high-end scientific and technical computing, while their cost, physical scale, and infrastructure requirements limited access to a relatively small customer base. Supertek sought to address that market with a smaller and less expensive implementation of Cray-style vector computing. The company’s first major system was the Supertek S-1. The machine was a compact, air-cooled CMOS implementation modeled on the Cray X-MP vector processor supercomputer. It ran the Cray Time Sharing System and later supported a version of Unix, giving it an intended connection both to Cray-oriented software environments and to a broader operating-system ecosystem. The S-1 was launched in 1989. Supertek had raised US$21.4 million in venture capital, although approximately US$5 million was reportedly sufficient to develop the system. Technical development did not translate into broad commercial sales. Only ten S-1 units were sold, leaving the company with a limited installed base and a difficult competitive position. Cray Research acquired Supertek in 1990. Following the acquisition, Cray briefly sold the S-1 as the Cray XMS, preserving elements of the system’s market proposition under the better-known Cray name. Supertek was also working on the S-2 when the acquisition took place. The S-2 was intended to be a clone of the Cray Y-MP, a later and more powerful Cray vector-supercomputer architecture. Development continued under Cray, and the resulting product was launched in 1992 as the Cray Y-MP EL. This transition connected Supertek’s engineering program to a Cray-branded successor product, even though Supertek itself no longer operated independently. The company’s independent history was therefore brief, spanning roughly five years from its founding to its acquisition. Its importance lies less in sales volume than in its attempt to commercialize Cray-compatible vector computing through compact systems and in the way its technology and development work were absorbed into Cray’s product portfolio.

• 1992

  Cray Y-MP EL launches

  [1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  The S-2 development effort continued after the acquisition and eventually resulted in the Cray Y-MP EL, a Cray Y-MP-compatible system.

• 1990

  Acquisition by Cray Research

  [1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Cray Research acquired Supertek after only ten S-1 systems had been sold.

• 1989

  S-1 launches

  [1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Supertek launched the S-1, a compact air-cooled CMOS Cray X-MP-compatible vector computer supporting the Cray Time Sharing System and later Unix.

• 1985

  Supertek Computers is founded

  [1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Mike Fung founded Supertek Computers in Santa Clara, California, to develop and sell lower-cost minisupercomputers compatible with Cray Research systems.

A specialist high-performance-computing company focused on lower-cost, compact systems compatible with Cray vector supercomputers.

• Minisupercomputer · 1989

  Supertek S-1

  The S-1 was Supertek’s first and principal commercial product. It was a compact, air-cooled CMOS vector-processing system designed as a compatible implementation of the Cray X-MP. The machine ran the Cray Time Sharing System and later supported a version of Unix. Supertek introduced it in 1989 as a lower-cost alternative to larger Cray installations, but only ten units were sold. After Cray Research acquired Supertek, the system was marketed briefly as the Cray XMS.

• Minisupercomputer development project

  Supertek S-2

  The S-2 was an in-development Supertek system intended to clone the Cray Y-MP architecture. It had not been launched as an independent Supertek product when Cray Research acquired the company in 1990. The project continued under Cray and ultimately became the Cray Y-MP EL, linking Supertek’s second-generation engineering work to a later Cray-branded system.

• 1990

  Cray Research acquires SupertekM&A

  Background

  Supertek had developed the S-1 and was working on the S-2, but the S-1 achieved only ten sales despite significant venture financing.

  Action taken

  Cray Research acquired Supertek and subsequently used the acquired product and development work in its own portfolio.

  Aftermath

  The S-1 was briefly sold as the Cray XMS, while the S-2 effort eventually led to the Cray Y-MP EL in 1992.

  Source

• 1992

  Cray Y-MP EL reaches launch after Supertek S-2 development[1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch · Product generation

  The Supertek S-2 project, intended as a Cray Y-MP-compatible system, ultimately emerged after the acquisition as the Cray Y-MP EL.

• 1990

  Cray Research acquires Supertek Computers[1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Cray Research acquired Supertek after the company had sold ten S-1 systems. The S-1 was subsequently offered for a limited period as the Cray XMS.

• 1989

  Supertek launches the S-1 minisupercomputer[1]Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  Supertek introduced the S-1, a compact air-cooled CMOS system designed to provide compatibility with the Cray X-MP architecture. It supported the Cray Time Sharing System and later a version of Unix.

1. 1Supertek Computersen.wikipedia.org