HP is once againproviding technology to another big animation studio. After recentlyannouncing a three-year, multi-million dollar technology strategicalliance with DreamWorks, designed to "revolutionize animationproduction," HP has announced that Walt Disney Feature Animation hasselected HP's Linux-based workstations and servers as components forits next-generation digital animation production pipeline. WaltDisney Feature Animation and HP have been working together for thepast 10 months to provide computing solutions for visual effects,traditional and computer-generated animation. To this end, HP isdelivering a range of products and services to Disney's visualeffects and animation production, including Intel Xeon-powered HPx4000 workstations running Linux for animators, and high-density HPIA-32 based servers for rendering. "Disney and HP have workedtogether at very pivotal points in history -- at the inception of thecompanies and now as the digital animation industry approaches a keyturning point," said Martin Fink, general manager, HP Linux SystemsDivision. "Linux is quickly becoming the driving force behind thenext phase of digital animation. HP is providing key technologyinfrastructure that will allow Disney to continue to create memorableanimation while driving costs down and staying on the cutting edge."In 1938, Disney became one of HP's earliest customers afterpurchasing eight HP Model 200B resistance-capacity oscillators fromfounders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard. At the time, the studio wasworking to produce an early version of SurroundSound for the featurefilm FANTASIA.
