A NEW million-dollar super-computing facility, the biggest such facility here, will allow companies to rent super-computers and high-end business software from Saturday.

Instead of paying tens of thousands of dollars to buy their own computer servers that may sit idle during lull periods, companies like animation studios or biomedical research firms which need high-end super-computers in their business will be able to 'rent' computing power when they need it, said Singapore Computer Systems executive vice-president Alvin Kok.

According to a study by the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, computer servers are only in use between 10 and 35 per cent of the time.

The service, called Alatum (Latin for winged), is a joint-venture between SingTel unit Singapore Computer Systems and technology giant Hewlett-Packard, and is a key part of the Government's iN2015 infocomm masterplan to transform Singapore into an intelligent island.

Sited in Bedok, Alatum has 300 computer processors. Alatum, into which the two parties have invested 'tens of millions of dollars', has also signed up about 20 software partners including database provider Oracle and customer relationship software provider Salesforce.com.

These software companies will offer their software, which are generally used by larger enterprises with deeper pockets, to even smaller companies here, on a per use model.

So far, Alatum has signed up three customers: market research firm Research International, oil-and-gas industry maintenance and repair specialist K2, and wind technology company Vesatas Technlogy.

It expects to sign up 700 customers from both the public and private sector by 2011.