Hewlett-Packard will supply computing power to movie studio DreamWorks SKG for Shrek 2 animation work and help Warner Bros. Studios restore films, the computer maker plans to announce Monday. The deals are HP"s latest steps in digital entertainment and utility computing--two areas that have played an increasingly larger role in the company"s direction.
DreamWorks already uses HP servers, but under the expanded partnership, HP will rent additional computing power to the studio by way of an offering called the Utility Rendering Service, which HP said will let DreamWorks animators create more lifelike characters and scenery for the upcoming Shrek 2. In utility computing, a company pays to use someone else"s computing power on an as-needed basis, rather than purchasing and operating its own computers. Animation is a vastly simpler task than some that HP and others expect utility computing to one day handle.