News for and about the Internet2 community

[Lauren Rotman <>]

IRON Connects to Internet2’s Next-Generation Nationwide Network

New Connection to Internet2 Enables Cutting-Edge Applications in  
Teaching and Learning Across Idaho

November 2, 2009 – Thousands more students, faculty, and researchers  
across the state of Idaho can now access one of the most advanced  
networks in the world. Internet2 and the Idaho Regional Optical  
Network (IRON), including eligible Idaho-based institutions connected  
to IRON as well as the State of Idaho, Department of Administration’s  
Idaho Education Network (IEN), today announced that IRON has become  
the newest Internet2 Sponsored Education Group Participant (SEGP), the  
38th state education network to participate in the program. IRON  
brings together Idaho’s schools, libraries, museums, colleges and  
other education and culturally-oriented institutions to share  
information and technology.

“Through this new connection, made possible through a generous  
sponsorship of the University of Idaho and Idaho State University,  
students and teachers in Idaho will be able to create virtual  
classrooms and laboratories that put global resources and experts at  
their fingertips," said Dr. Louis Fox, director, Internet2 K20  
Initiative. “Over the past several years, we have seen the amazing  
results that advanced networking can bring to the K20 community and we  
look forward to working with IRON to further enrich this growing  
program."

IRON member institutions will now connect to Internet2’s nationwide  
high performance network through the University of Utah/Utah Education  
Network (UEN) connector. Through this connection, IRON’s connected  
institutions and IEN affiliates will also participate in the Internet2  
K20 Initiative, which extends the most cutting-edge, Internet-based  
educational opportunities not available today on the commercial  
Internet.

“As Idaho’s Sponsored Education Group Participant (SEGP), IRON is  
excited to join with Internet2 and its members in providing the most  
advanced educational resources and technologies available to Idaho’s  
public school students and educators. By providing access to the  
Internet2 K20 Initiative, IRON assures that video and streaming media  
access to libraries, museums and other educational institutions and  
resources worldwide is available on demand. Even Idaho’s smallest  
rural school districts can now access or share world-class teaching  
and learning resources that would otherwise not be available or cost  
effective in their communities. High school students can now access  
advanced placement topics and college class credits while completing  
their high school graduation requirements. Educators are able to  
pursue professional training, certifications or graduate degrees.  
Distance and lack of accessibility no longer limit educational  
opportunities for Idaho schools,” said David E. O’Neill, president and  
CEO, IRON.

Through its national K20 Initiative, Internet2 brings together  
institutions and innovators from primary and secondary schools,  
colleges and universities, libraries, and museums to extend advanced  
networking-enabled technologies, applications, middleware, and content  
to all educational sectors. The K20 Initiative now comprises 38 state  
education networks which in turn connect over 60,000 research and  
education institutions in the U.S.

“Unlike the urban areas of the world, the rural regions of Idaho have  
suffered greatly from a lack of adequate bandwidth, putting the state  
at a distinct disadvantage in facilitating research, disseminating  
information, stimulating local economies, and collaborating with  
institutions or partners across the state, nation and world,” said  
Harvey L. Hughett, executive director of Information Technology  
Services and CIO of University of Idaho. “Learning institutions,  
health facilities, research parks, national labs, art galleries,  
government, business and residential users must have affordable  
bandwidth connectivity in order to pursue essential day-to-day  
activities. When fully developed, the Idaho Regional Optical Network,  
partnered with Internet2, will finally provide the critical platform  
that will open countless opportunities and allow Idahoans to thrive in  
the modern world.”

Randy Gaines, Chief Information Officer at Idaho State University  
added, “Idaho State University is excited to help extend these  
connectivity capabilities statewide. Idaho State University has been a  
member of Internet2 for ten years and has partnered with the Utah  
Education Network since the year 2000 to provide advanced networking  
to our faculty and researchers, as well as providing Internet access  
to K-12, government, and healthcare partners in Southeast Idaho. With  
this agreement Idaho State University, University of Idaho, and IRON,  
will now be able to share our advanced Internet2 connectivity with  
others, and create many new exciting capabilities for those connecting.”

Participants in the K20 initiative are able to take advantage of a  
wide range of resources like master music classes using HD-quality  
videoconferencing or events like Megaconference Jr., an annual project  
that uses videoconferencing technology to bring together thousands of  
students in elementary and secondary schools from around the world for  
an all-day learning conference. Students can also take part in  
immersive undersea exploration demonstrations with divers in remote  
locations around the world led by famed oceanographer Bob Ballard.

The K20 initiative has also launched a social networking site, called  
“Muse” which provides a focal point for bringing diverse and  
geographically disparate individuals and groups together for  
collaboration using the Internet2 Network.

For more information, visit: http://k20.internet2.edu

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.

For more information: http://www.internet2.edu/


ABOUT IRON

Chartered in late 2007, IRON, Inc. is a nonprofit cooperative made up  
of universities, the State of Idaho, the Idaho Hospital Association  
and the Idaho National Laboratory to establish a high-performance  
Regional Optical Network within the State of Idaho. IRON is Idaho’s  
common voice to the regional optical networking community  
demonstrating leadership and commitment to the provision of high speed  
network connectivity in support of education, research, healthcare and  
government for the state of Idaho.


For more information, visit:   http://www.ironforidaho.net



CONTACT:

Lauren Rotman

Internet2



202.331.5345