Grid computing has largely been in the realm of Unix and Linux, but some developers are looking to bring Microsoft Corp. into the mix.

GridIron Software Inc., of Ottawa, last week entered into an agreement with Microsoft to develop grid technology. Microsoft and GridIron have been working to make GridIron's tools available for high-definition, real-time encoding solutions on Windows XP, said GridIron officials.

GridIron plans to focus on desktop applications that are computation-intensive, such as those for digital content creation, editing and management, officials said.

Meanwhile, Digipede Technologies LLC has unveiled Digipede Network, a Microsoft .Net-based distributed computing solution for computation-, data- and transaction-intensive applications, said John Powers, president and CEO of the Oakland, Calif., company.

Initial support will be for Windows only, but future versions will support other operating systems. Digipede's solution dynamically parcels complex computing tasks across the network to tap idle resources, Powers said.

To read more about Digipede's launch of the Digipede Network at the Demo conference this month, click here.

Digipede Network consists of three parts: Digipede Agents, which manage desktops, servers or cluster nodes and the tasks that run on them; Digipede Server, which is responsible for managing workflow throughout the system; and Digipede Workbench, through which users can define and run jobs, Powers said.

Pricing for Digipede Network Team Edition starts at $995 for a system licensing one Digipede Server and five Digipede Agents; additional Digipede Agents can be licensed for $199 each.

This article was first published on eweek.com.