Penguin steals HP, Compaq, DEC, Tandem vet

Make our clusters strong

By Ashlee Vance in Mountain View • Get more from this author

Posted in Servers, 13th January 2006 20:45 GMT

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Little Penguin Computing has nabbed one of HP's major hardware executives, announcing that Pauline Nist will officially join the company next week.

Nist most recently served as VP of quality for HP's massive enterprise storage and servers division. More importantly, perhaps, the executive used to head up the NonStop server division at HP and worked for the same unit at Compaq and Tandem. Such experience could be valuable as the Linux cluster specialist Penguin looks to strengthen its hardware line for corporate use.

“We are going to see Linux clustering take quantum leaps forward in the very near future as more enterprise level players adopt traditionally HPC-friendly technology,” Nist said, in a copy of a press release obtained by The Register and due to go out next Tuesday. “ Penguin has a unique advantage with its robust systems combined with its ‘secret sauce’ - Scyld Beowulf clustering software - which dramatically simplifies clustering by making the cluster appear and act like a single virtual system. As a result, Penguin Computing is poised on the cusp of a very big Linux cluster wave and I’m extremely excited to have the opportunity to put my enterprise experience to work for the company to help accelerate its momentum.”

Nist will serve as SVP of product development and management at Penguin.

The executive also has experience as VP of DEC's Alpha server business. So, she's lorded over numerous dying server businesses. ®

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