Friend to Lead NCVirtual
Bruce Friend, a former administrator for a virtual school in Florida, will become the first executive director of NC Virtual, North Carolina’s on-line school. The vision and framework for the school is guided by the e-Learning Commission, a group comprised of representatives from industry, government, and education. UNC Vice Presidents Alan Mabe and Robyn Render serve on the commission. Jim Barber, Executive Director for LEARN NC, Tom Miller, Professor and Vice Provost, NC State University, and Elmer Poe, Associate Vice Chancellor, East Carolina University also serve on the commission. For more information: http://www.ncpublicschools.org/sbehighlights/2005/08highlights.html and see UNC Links, October 2005.
Blackboard and WebCT Merger is Official
Blackboard and WebCT recently passed the final hurdle towards completing the official merger of the two technology companies. The U.S. Department of Justice closed its routine antitrust investigation of the merger and, effectively, gave the nod to the two companies’ plans to join. In a letter to its customers officially announcing the merger, Blackboard noted that any points of contact (account management, client support etc.) will stay the same throughout the integration. Also, officials have indicated the company will continue to support WebCT software immediately after the merger. Subsequently, the combined company will explore new technology and new markets and eventually merge the two computer systems. For more information: http://www.blackboard.com and http://chronicle.com
Ruckus Partners with Internet2 for Creating and Delivering Content Distribution Technology
Recently, Internet2 announced that Ruckus has joined the consortium as a corporate partner. In addition, the company will collaborate with the membership to develop and test new technologies for delivering multimedia materials within and among campus communities. Many colleges and universities already have agreements with Ruckus to legally share multimedia music and entertainment content to students. This agreement with Internet2 allows universities to harness the power of the high-speed network to share classroom-related multimedia materials. For more information see: http://www.internet2.edu or http://www.ruckus.com
Four-year, $15 Million Project is Milestone in NCREN Support for Universities, State Government and Other Non-Profit Institutions
The North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN) has recently completed Project NCREN3, a four-year, $15 million project. This major enhancement will provide faster and more reliable services to all 16 of the UNC institutions, Duke University, Wake Forest University, most of the other private universities, community colleges, the NC state government, public libraries, research institutions, and medical centers. It builds upon North Carolina's nationally renowned advanced network collaboration among universities, the UNC General Administration, the state of North Carolina, and MCNC. This state-of-the-art network is based upon a fully resilient and self-healing ring network architecture and serves as a model for other states. In addition, NCREN provides access to the world’s leading research institutions through national research networks, including Internet2 and the National LambdaRail.
Q. How Much Faster is the Enhanced Network?
A. Since 1987, the amount of Internet-based information on the statewide network has increased 25,000 fold, serving millions of research, education, and government partners in North Carolina. The speed and capacity (bandwidth) of the network provide reliable service – today providing more than 5,000 times the speed of a cable modem and 90,000 times the speed of a typical dial-up Internet connection.
NCREN 3 enhancements provide a minimum network bandwidth of 1 billion bits per second (1 gigabit) at every North Carolina public university, with higher bandwidth up to 10 gigabits serving the state's largest research universities at UNC Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Duke University.
Q. What Additional Education and Government Organizations Will Be Able to Access this Network?
A. A key enhancement through NCREN 3 is the establishment of Regional Points of Presence (rPoPs) beyond the core network serving the state's largest research universities in the Research Triangle region. These rPoPs are regional "on ramps" to the NCREN network, hosting network equipment to support the statewide NCREN backbone and enable the network to interconnect universities and other partners. The regional hubs enable communities to establish their own network services for colleges, K-12 schools, and local government organizations, becoming catalysts for regional economic development.
The most recent phase of Project NCREN3 included the creation of rPoPs in Asheville (resulting in enhanced services to UNC Asheville and Western Carolina University, who, in the past, have struggled with reliable connections) and in Hickory (resulting in a redundant and diverse path for UNC Charlotte.
In addition, NCREN 3 included a new research-only fiber network to support the Carolina MicroOptics Triangle, a regional optical research partnership among UNC Charlotte, Western Carolina University and Clemson University. The organization was formed to coordinate the technology platforms of the partner institutions for technology advancement, local education support, support to local companies, and to support economic development in the region. Over 150 jobs have been created, new degree programs have been established, and the region has established a reputation as one of the nation's leading optical centers.
Project NCREN3 is another fine example of how the universities collaborate to create new opportunities throughout the state while also identifying cost-saving opportunities. This successful model of collaboration can be expanded to include community colleges and school districts across the state.
MCNC Exec Killebrew Named StateNet Chair
John Killebrew, director of NCREN for MCNC, was recently nominated to be the chair of Educause’s StateNet working group. This group is comprised of representatives from the public and non-profit organizations operating the statewide networks that serve the K-20, library, and governmental organizations. The StateNet working group provides a forum for identifying state and national policy issues and for discussing emerging technology issues unique to statewide networks.
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