IBM developing first Cell-based non-game computer

Although the PlayStation 3 won't hit the market until 2006, today saw the announcement of the first deal to use its technology for non-game systems. Today IBM announced it is partnering with Mercury Computer Systems "to build new breakthrough computer systems for data-intensive applications."

At the core of these systems will be the Cell processor, the PS3's CPU, which IBM codeveloped with Sony and Toshiba. As explained in GameSpot Hardware's feature, the Cell offers a tremendous amount of parallelism with its eight synergistic processing cores working in conjunction with a single power control processor. It is capable of more than 200 gigaflops of performance--or 200 billion floating-point operations per second.

While Sony used the Cell's power to show off some virtual firepower at its E3 conference, Mercury Computer Systems may use the cell for some real-life military applications. The company's technology is used in a wide variety of "defense and aerospace" applications. "In military reconnaissance and surveillance platforms the Company's systems process real-time radar, sonar, and signals intelligence data," read Mercury Computer Systems' press release.

For more on Mercury Computer Systems, check out the company's official Web site.