Microsoft plans on delivering supercomputing power to a broader audience of scientists via its cloud computing and server technologies.

On Tuesday, the company announced its new Technical Computing group, saying it will let scientists focus on research without having to build or program complicated applications or server systems.

The group is part of Microsoft's server and tools division, under president Bob Muglia, and it will focus on three areas: Azure compute cloud power, simplified development of parallel programs, and development of powerful technical computing tools and applications.

Muglia outlined here how Microsoft can help. Scientists can augment their on-premises systems using Azure, while Microsoft is building what he called new tools to "automate and simplify writing software through parallel processing" for desktop, cluster, and cloud. Also coming are what he called "easy-to-use tools and applications" that will automate data acquisition, modeling, simulation, visualization, workflow, and collaboration.

Microsoft's general manager of technical computing Bill Hilf said here: "Our goal is to create technical computing solutions that speed discovery, invention and innovation."

The company has augmented the effort with a website packing video from scientists and its own researchers discussing the issues here. ®