When the word went out last year that a consortium of major
universities was forming to create the next generation of Internet
technology and applications, Florida A&M University did not
hesitate to join the initiative. Researchers at the nationally
acclaimed school engaged in molecular database development, atmospheric
physics calculations and other computing intensive research recognized
that an advanced Internet could smooth the way for their collaboration
with other researchers around the nation.
For Florida A&M, joining the prestigious Internet2 initiative
would fit neatly into the school’s ambitious research and institutional
agenda. It helped that administrators and faculty members there were
committed to upgrading the campus computing and network facilities. And
as a participant in the U.S. Army’s High Performance Computing
Consortium, Florida A&M had already begun developing its computer
networking capabilities to collaborate with other research universities.
“We’ve been committed to developing our computing resources for
several years now,” says Sterlin Adams, director of planning and
analysis at Florida A&M University.
In January 1997, Florida A&M officials agreed to spend at least
$500,000 a year to upgrade its campus computing facilities to meet
Internet2 requirements for joining the consortium as a charter member
In addition to committing $500,000 annually to its own computer network
upgrades, the school committed itself to connecting its campus network
to the national Internet2 system.
In roughly a year since the project’s announcement, Internet2
membership has grown to 112 institutions. Participating schools are
spending a total of $50 million annually to bring Internet2 to
fruition. Among the corporate partners participating in Internet2
development are IBM, 3COM, AT&T, and Sprint.
Quickening the Pace in Cyberspace
Today’s Internet is seen as too congested, too slow, and too
unstable for the type of applications envisioned by Internet2 member
schools. The new network is intended to enable a wide-ranging array of
broadband network applications, such as virtual reality, digital
libraries, and virtual laboratory collaborations. Internet2 is expected
to allow users to send and receive data as much as 100 times faster
than the current Internet.
