News for and about the Internet2 community

["Gill, Megan L." <>]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE           

Contact: Megan Gill             
(573) 882-0054


MOREnet, Internet2 Bring Regional Competition to International Audience:
US FIRST Robotics Greater Kansas City Regional to be Streamed Via Internet2

March 9, 2007 - Kansas City, Mo.  On March 16-17, 2007, the US FIRST Robotics 
Greater Kansas City Regional Competition at Hale Arena will have a much 
bigger audience than they expected. Through partnership with FIRST, and 
funding from the Kauffman Foundation, the Missouri Research & Education 
Network (MOREnet) will stream the live competition to a global audience via 
Internet2. With competitors from seven states, this technological enhancement 
to the event will enable other students, families and members of the 
community to be a part of the competition experience, even if they can't 
travel to Kansas City.

The live streaming of the event allows competitors to see the other teams 
compete. This is helpful not just for competitors in Kansas City, but from 
around the country, since the field narrows toward the final competition in 
Atlanta in April. 

MOREnet will also provide standard- and high-definition videoconferencing 
capabilities to teams from an interview area on the competition floor. From 
here, teams will be able to interact with their communities at home including 
parents, students, and even members of the media who are following the 
competition.  "To our knowledge, this is the first time a feature like this 
has been available to regional competitors and the teams are very excited 
about it," said MOREnet Project Manager Eric Nicklas.

These services are made possible with the help of the Great Plains Network 
(GPN) which provides transport of the content to Internet2, a University of 
Missouri - Kansas City production crew, talent and technical expertise from 
RoundTrips, and equipment from PolyCom, Tandberg, LifeSize, Fortress 
Technologies, Roland, AVA, HME, Sound Concepts, Professional Network 
Solutions and VBrick. 

For more information about the event, and to learn how to connect or 
participate, please visit www.more.net/services/videostreaming/events.html.

About MOREnet
MOREnet links Missouri to a world of knowledge through a statewide research 
and education network. Schools, public libraries, academic institutions and 
state agencies linked to the network have access to a secure broadband 
Internet connection, staff training, technical support and electronic 
resources, making equitable access possible across Missouri.

About Internet2
Internet2 is the foremost U.S. advanced networking consortium. Led by the 
research and education community since 1996, Internet2 promotes the missions 
of its members by providing both leading-edge network capabilities and unique 
partnership opportunities that together facilitate the development, 
deployment and use of revolutionary Internet technologies. Internet2 brings 
the U.S. research and academic community together with technology leaders 
from industry, government and the international community to undertake 
collaborative efforts that have a fundamental impact on tomorrow's Internet.