Tata sets sights on grid computing

Tata Consultancy Services announced on Thursday the creation of a laboratory that will work on emerging technologies.

Tata's iLab will focus on grid computing, collaborative software development and service-oriented architecture, the Mumbai, India-based software and services company said.

The lab, based in New Delhi, will also integrate technologies being developed at existing Tata research arms in Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore that focus on embedded systems, bioinformatics, information security, and other areas.

For instance, research requiring significant data crunching, such as molecule docking needed for drug research, can be speeded up using grids of normal desktop computers. And code generation tools developed at the company's other labs can be integrated into a service-oriented architecture framework to boost productivity of software developers, Tata said.

"We will focus on delivering value through scalable and secure platforms based on new enterprise technology components developed by Tata as well as partners in emerging technologies," Gautam Shroff, vice president of technology programs at Tata, said in a statement.

In May, Tata announced an alliance with New York-based Data Synapse to jointly market the latter's grid server software to customers worldwide.