The government is establishing a high-end computing revitalization task force aimed at improving research and development, accessibility and procurement of high-end systems. William Turnbull, deputy CIO of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, said the effort will be guided by the National Science and Technology Council. He spoke yesterday at the National High-Performance Computing and Communications Council’s conference in Newport, R.I. The impetus for the task force comes from a paragraph in the Office of Management and Budget’s Analytical Perspectives on the fiscal 2004 budget, Turnbull said. “Due to its impact on a wide range of federal agency missions ranging from national security and defense to basic science, high-end computing—or supercomputing—capability is becoming increasingly critical,” the document stated. Full Story