TOKYO, Oct. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. (SCEI)
 today announced that PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(R)) computer entertainment
 systems, part of Stanford University's Folding@home(TM) program, have
 enabled the distributed computing project to be recognized by Guinness
 World Records(TM) as the most powerful distributed computing network in the
 world. The record was initially set on September 16, 2007 as Folding@home
 surpassed one petaflop(*1), a computing milestone that has never been
 reached before by a distributed computing network. In addition to this, the
 collective efforts of our users have enabled PS3 alone to reach the
 petaflop mark on September 23, 2007.
     (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20020701/SFM066LOGO)
     The record is a testament to the widespread participation of PS3 users
 from around the world-currently more than 670,000 unique PS3 users have
 registered to the Folding@home network, bringing the overall computing
 power of the program to more than a petaflop. Thanks to PS3's powerful Cell
 Broadband Engine(TM) (Cell/B.E.), scientists will now be able to make
 greater progress in their studies of protein folding and its link to
 diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and certain forms of cancer.
     "To have Folding@home recognized by Guinness World Records as the most
 powerful distributed computing network ever is a reflection of the
 extraordinary worldwide participation by gamers and consumers around the
 world and for that we are very grateful," said Vijay Pande, Associate
 Professor of Chemistry at Stanford University and Folding@home project
 lead. "Without them we would not be able to make the advancements we have
 made in our studies of several different diseases. But it is clear that
 none of this would be even remotely possible without the power of PS3, it
 has increased our research capabilities by leaps and bounds."
     "To have PS3 play such a large role in allowing Folding@home to be
 honored by Guinness World Records is truly incredible," said Masayuki
 Chatani, Executive Vice President & Chief Technology Officer, Technology
 Platform, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. "This record is clear evidence
 of the power of PS3 and the contributions that it is making to the
 Folding@home network, and more importantly, scientific research."
     The Folding@home program up until recently leveraged only the
 distributed computing power of personal computers (PC) from around the
 world. The PCs that made up the Folding@home network numbered roughly
 200,000 giving the program the equivalent of about one-quarter of a
 petaflop. On March 15, 2007, PS3 joined the program and since then more
 than 670,000 unique PS3 users have registered to the Folding@home network,
 bringing the overall computing power of the program to more than a
 petaflop.
     Starting with Folding@home, SCE will continue to support distributed
 computing projects in a wide variety of academic fields such as medical and
 social sciences and environmental studies through the use of PS3 and hopes
 to contribute to the advancement of science.
     (*1) A petaflop is the ability of a computer to do one quadrillion
          floating point operations per second (FLOPS).
     (*2) For more information, please see official website
          (http://www.scei.co.jp/folding/en/).
     About Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
     Recognized as the global leader and company responsible for the
 progression of consumer-based computer entertainment, Sony Computer
 Entertainment Inc. (SCEI) manufacturers, distributes and markets the
 PlayStation(R) game console, the PlayStation(R)2 computer entertainment
 system, the PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable) handheld entertainment system
 and the PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(R)) system. PlayStation has revolutionized
 home entertainment by introducing advanced 3D graphic processing, and
 PlayStation 2 further enhances the PlayStation legacy as the core of home
 networked entertainment. PSP is a new handheld entertainment system that
 allows users to enjoy 3D games, with high-quality full-motion video, and
 high-fidelity stereo audio. PS3 is an advanced computer system,
 incorporating the state-of-the-art Cell processor with super computer like
 power. SCEI, along with its subsidiary divisions Sony Computer
 Entertainment America Inc., Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Ltd., and
 Sony Computer Entertainment Korea Inc. develops, publishes, markets and
 distributes software, and manages the third party licensing programs for
 these platforms in the respective markets worldwide. Headquartered in
 Tokyo, Japan, Sony Computer Entertainment Inc. is an independent business
 unit of the Sony Group.
     "PlayStation", "PLAYSTATION" and "PS3" are registered trademarks and
 "Cell Broadband Engine" is a trademark of Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
 Folding@home is a trademark of Leland Stanford Junior University. Guinness
 World Records is a trademark of Guinness World Records.
 
 

SOURCE Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.

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