News for and about the Internet2 community

["Lauren B. Kallens" <>]

THE WORLD BANK JOINS INTERNET2
Bank to Utilize Internet2's High Performance Network for Global Learning
Initiative 

Washington D.C. and Ann Arbor, MI - May 4, 2005 - Internet2, the foremost
U.S. advanced networking consortium led by the research and higher education
community, today announced that the World Bank has joined Internet2 as an
affiliate member. Through its membership, the Bank will connect its
headquarters in Washington D.C. to Internet2's high performance Abilene
Network. By leveraging Internet2's backbone network and its connections to
over 50 global peer networks, the Bank will greatly enhance its
collaboration efforts with universities and research institutions in the
U.S. and around the world. 
 
"The World Bank remains focused on providing countries with the training and
resources they need to facilitate economic growth," said Mohamed Muhsin,
World Bank Vice President and CIO. "Through our partnership with Internet2,
the World Bank can now more effectively work with remote countries and
provide a richer, more comprehensive learning experience for its global
community." 

The World Bank's connection to Abilene will permit the existing Global
Development Learning Network (GDLN) videoconference network to interconnect
with the Internet2 community in the U.S. and to institutions connected to
its 50 partner national research and education networks (NRENs) around the
world. GDLN centers currently aid the World Bank in providing remote
instruction and training workshops via IP videoconferencing. 

Both U.S. and international universities working together on projects with
the World Bank, such as the GDLN, can now leverage their existing Internet2
or Internet2 partner NREN connections to link with the Bank. At the same
time, Internet2 and its partner networks will be able to access sites (such
as GDLN centers) connected to the Bank's network - especially important in
countries where no current national research network exists.

"In working with the World Bank, Internet2 continues to fulfill its mission
to support the global research, teaching and learning needs of its member
community," said Doug Van Houweling, president and CEO of Internet2. "In the
future, we hope our work together will be successful in encouraging the
development of many research and education networks to enable greater global
collaboration and discovery in countries currently without good network
infrastructure."

ABOUT INTERNET2
Led by more than 200 U.S. universities working with industry and government,
Internet2 develops and deploys advanced network applications and
technologies for research and higher education, accelerating the creation of
tomorrow's Internet.  Internet2 recreates the partnerships among academia,
industry, and government that helped foster today's Internet in its infancy.
For more information, visit: www.internet2.edu.

ABOUT THE WORLD BANK GROUP
The World Bank Group's mission is to fight poverty and improve the living
standards of people in the developing world. It is a development Bank which
provides loans, policy advice, technical assistance and knowledge sharing
services to low and middle income countries to reduce poverty.


MEDIA CONTACTS:
Internet2
Lauren B. Kallens
202 331 5345

        
World Bank
Le Vu
202 473 2012


Vili Brajovic
202 473 2188



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