A new style of a supercomputer that derives its name from combining optical networking, Internet protocols, computer storage, and processing. The optiputer consists of about 500 processors linked through fiber optical switching systems. Parts of the computer can share information at the speed of light.

This new design allows the communications lines to become the fastest part of the computer. In the past, the processors have been the fastest part of the computer. The optiputer is part of a new trend for supercomputers called grid computing, which allows complex problems to be solved by linking processors that may be thousands of miles apart.