A general observation is that although the HPC side is important, it is not the unequivocally most important. CPUs (Central Processing Units) and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) matter, and in recent years, for example, innovative solutions from NVIDIA have meant a lot in terms of improved processing performance. A tightly integrated GPU and CPU combination is, for example, a central component of NVIDIA’s Blackwell platform.
A contextually relevant point here is that Siemens Digital Industries Software/Altair has a partnership with NVIDIA. And as indicated above NVIDIA produces both high-performance GPUs and CPUs, but has primarily built its success on its dominance in graphics processors (GPUs).
However, a bottom line conclusion is that the combined CPU/GPU capacity and HPC software are mutually dependent on each other, of course, in relation to the application area. A powerful CPU is essential for running operating systems and managing software, while GPUs are essential for graphics-intensive tasks, such as 3D rendering or machine learning, where they can perform calculations in parallel much faster than a CPU.
Nevertheless, the HPC software is a key, and in the case of Altair HPCWorks, powerful AI and GPU integration stand out in competition.
Altair’s HPCWorks Stands Strong on the Global HPC Market
Exactly how big the global High-Performance Computing (HPC) software market is varies depending on the source. However, the figures from Fortune Business Insights normally represent a good indication of what the statistics in IT look like. According to this source the market size was valued at $50.0 billion in 2023 and projected to grow from $54.4 billion in 2024 to $109.99 billion by 2032.
Information about Altair’s specific market share for its HPCWorks software has not been possuble to find out. However, Altair is recognized as a leader in high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud solutions, operating in the global HPC software market.
Interestingly, in the product development space, HPCWorks is often used in industries that rely heavily on simulation & analysis, such as aerospace and automotive. NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Tesla, GM, and Ford are examples of Altair HPC OEM customers. In this context, HPCWorks enables engineers to perform complex simulations in demanding applications, for example, in the FEA (Finite Element Analysis) and CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) areas. Altair’s HPC solution and cloud platform provide the necessary infrastructure to handle the computationally intensive workloads that drive innovation, and help engineers to accelerate and optimize workflows by providing advanced resource management, cloud scaling, and, of course, AI integration.
Built to Meet the Demands of Modern AI Workflows
Altair’s HPCWorks solutions are built to meet the demands of modern AI workflows, with expanded GPU support and improved Kubernetes integration for higher performance and flexibility. Kubernetes is an open source system for automatically deploying, scaling, and managing containerized applications. It orchestrates clusters of containers, making it easier to manage complex applications running in containers like Docker. The system schedules containers to run on virtual machines (nodes) based on their resource requirements and handles automatic scaling, restarting failed applications, and load balancing.
That said, it can be noted that HPCWorks 2026 introduces several new features, including Jupyter Notebook integration for training AI and machine learning models. And as mentioned, GPU-accelerated computing is central to data-intensive workflows, and Altair’s tools are optimized for efficient GPU discovery and performance tuning. HPCWorks supports NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel-based GPUs, providing IT administrators with seamless integration and expanded reporting capabilities.
Paving the Way for the Next Generation of Intelligent HPC
With the help of smart AI tools, users can achieve results faster without requiring in-depth knowledge of IT or job management. Intelligent HPC leverages AI to automate tasks and shorten time to results through intelligent job scheduling and optimized memory usage.
Altair HPCWorks builds on this with AI-assisted features, including a new AI-driven forecast of memory resources that streamlines job execution and optimizes resource utilization. Integration with platforms such as Altair RapidMiner, which PLM&ERP News has reported on in several articles. The solution enables users to create customized AI models that are trained for individual workloads.
RapidMiner – makes Altair a Magic Quadrant Leader
RapidMiner is one of Siemens/Altair’s most interesting acquisitions in recent years. The platform is focused on data analysis and AI, and includes tools for data preparation, data science, MLOps, orchestration and visualization solutions. It was acquired by Altair in September 2022 for $100 million, equivalent to just over one billion Swedish kronor. Altair was recently positioned by Gartner as a leader in the Magic Quadrant for Data Science and ML Platforms with RapidMiner.
It is clear that the RapidMiner acquisition has also given Altair a footprint in the banking and finance sector, which is unusual for an engineering software company. But here there are now interesting connections to other industry segments. By combining its traditional simulation products with the data analysis suite in RapidMiner, the potential is, in short, significant.
Hybrid Solutions that Unite Classical and Quantum Computing
On the quantum front, interesting things are now happening that promise to dramatically accelerate processing and take technological development to a new level. Although quantum computers still face significant obstacles, they are already being used together with classical HPC. Both technologies are excellent for different types of challenges, and hybrid workflows that combine classical and quantum technologies hold promise for applications in science, engineering, and finance.
The 2026 Altair HPCWorks release enables efficient execution of new hybrid quantum-classical workflows that can detect complex, evolving patterns such as credit card fraud.
More Highlights from the Latest Update
New features and enhancements to Altair HPCWorks include expanded reporting, an improved cluster interface, and tighter integration, both within Altair HPCWorks and with Altair’s other computing and data analytics solutions. Windows users get a new desktop client for easy access to HPC tools, and IT administrators can use a streaming API to create automations that react to cloud changes in real time, among other features.
Altair HPCWorks 2026 also includes additional security, performance, and functionality enhancements.
