sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SMCC Joins the National Information Infrastructure Testbed (NIIT) SunFLASH Vol 57 #18 September 1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 57.18 SMCC Joins the National Information Infrastructure Testbed (NIIT) (SMCC) has joined the announcement of the formation of the National Information Infrastructure Testbed (NIIT). SMCC is a new member of the NIIT, a non-profit consortium of industry, government, and academic organizations. The NIIT is chartered to develop a nationwide, high-speed information infrastructure testbed. The testbed is scheduled to be on-line by November, 1993 and will accelerate the practical implementation of the National Information Infrastructure concept. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDUSTRY-LED COALITION TO BUILD PROTOTYPE FOR NATIONAL INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE Washington, D.C./Palo Alto, Calif. -- September 15, 1993 -- Representatives from U.S. industry, academia, and government today announced an industry-led consortium formed to stimulate business and enhance American competitiveness by turning the vision of a national information highway to reality now. The group, National Information Infrastructure Testbed (NIIT), provides a nationwide, high performance testbed environment for implementing a series of real-world applications. This will allow its members to assess the pragmatic and technical issues associated with the longer term creation and operation of a national information infrastructure. The goal of the consortium is to integrate existing technologies in distributed computing and advanced communications to enable unparalleled information access and use. For example, information will be available transparently, without the user needing to know where that information is located. These technologies will also increase the productivity of individuals in areas such as medicine, education, and research by enabling them to collaborate across distances and share information simultaneously. "By developing a prototype information infrastructure, we can accelerate advances in key technologies pivotal to the competitiveness of American industries," said Lewis E. Platt, president and chief executive officer of Hewlett-Packard. "In addition, the existence of such an infrastructure will foster the creation of a wide variety of new information-based jobs and services." NIIT members to date include: AT&T; The College of Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University; Department of Energy/Sandia National Laboratories; Digital Equipment Corporation; The EUV Center for Astrophysics, University of California-Berkeley; Ellery Systems, Inc.; Essential Communications; Hewlett-Packard; Institute for the Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire; Network Systems Corporation; Novell, Inc.; Ohio State University; Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; Sprint; Sun Microsystems Computer Corp.; and SynOptics Communications. The U.S. Government also supports NIIT. "America's leadership in information technologies is critical to our future prosperity," said Dr. John H. Gibbons, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy. "I am glad to see industry initiating this partnership with government and academia. This cooperation will accelerate the development of the critical national resource needed to improve the economy and quality of life for our citizens." NIIT's First Demonstration -------------------------- NIIT's first demonstration, targeted for November, 1993, involves a topic important to everyone. The application, called Earth Data System, considers topics that range from tropical deforestation to ocean pollution. Initially, NIIT will link nine sites throughout the United States via a high-speed network based on Asynchronous Transfer Mode(ATM), FDDI, and Frame Relay. Researchers will be able to collaborate in real-time over the nationwide testbed to compare 20 years' worth of environmental data. Over time, this same information and capability can be made available to businesses and schools. In this way, NIIT seeks to foster competitiveness and improve the quality of education. Technically, this demonstration will provide NIIT members with knowledge relating to the accessibility of distributed information, scaling the system geographically, and integrating diverse computers, software, and communications systems. This knowledge will be vital as NIIT expands, both as new applications are added and as new technologies emerge. Next Steps for NIIT ------------------- This ongoing dynamic process will allow NIIT to evolve. The next planned application, targeted for 1994, is in the healthcare industry and will involve computerized patient records. Other application area NIIT seeks to implement include education, access to public records, manufacturing, and financial services. Membership in NIIT is open to any organization. Members will gain the practical expertise in the deployment of a national information infrastructure and will also benefit by the association with other technology leaders in this effort. ********************************************************************** For information about SunFlash send mail to info-sunflash@Sun.COM. Subscription requests should be sent to sunflash-request@Sun.COM. Archives are on draco.nova.edu, ftp.uu.net, sunsite.unc.edu, src.doc.ic.ac.uk and ftp.adelaide.edu.au All prices, availability, and other statements relating to Sun or third party products are valid in the U.S. only. Please contact your local Sales Representative for details of pricing and product availability in your region. Descriptions of, or references to products or publications within SunFlash does not imply an endorsement of that product or publication by Sun Microsystems. 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