But Mark Crawford, vice president of engineering at Simpson Strong-Tie Co., doesn't need to be convinced of the value of HPC.

Simpson Strong-Tie makes metal connectors used in construction, and in many ways is the polar opposite of the Web 2.0 companies springing up near its Pleasanton, Calif., headquarters. But this manufacturer may be one of the more high-tech companies around.

For most of its 50 years, Simpson Strong-Tie built its metal connectors by making physical prototypes to test. Last year, however, it began using HPC to do some of its design work and is now testing product variations in a virtual environment. It still does physical testing, though not as much, and has cut product development time in half: A new product that once might have taken six months to develop now takes just three, said Crawford.

The HPC system "is one of the key aspects to maintaining our competitive advantage," said Crawford, noting that Simpson Strong-Tie can more quickly investigate complex designs and see how connectors fair in various conditions such as during a high wind.

More companies may be acting in a similar fashion. HPC is a fast-growing technology, with revenues growing about 9 percent annually worldwide. IDC expects HPC revenues to reach US$14.3 billion by 2010.