News for and about the Internet2 community

[Todd Sedmak <>]

Virginia Universities Obtain Faster Connections to Internet2® Network 

Mid-Atlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance Establishes Direct Connection 
to Meet Big Data Needs of Scientific Researchers

Richmond, Va. and Ann Arbor, Mich.—(July 26, 2012)—Internet2® and Virginia’s 
Mid-Atlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance (MARIA) announced today that 
universities throughout Virginia now have access to two, 5 Gigabit per second 
(2x5G) direct Internet2 connections that will enhance university-based 
researchers’ ability to collaborate on “Big Data” scientific research with 
national and global counterparts. The initiative also aims to optimally 
deliver support for advanced applications like remote instrumentation, 
real-time video, next-generation distance learning, voice and other types of 
collaboration applications for campus users.

The 2x5G connections to the Internet2 Network benefit all MARIA members: The 
College of William and Mary, George Mason University, James Madison 
University, Old Dominion University, The University of Virginia, Virginia 
Tech, and Virginia Commonwealth University. MARIA’s connections will also 
provide access for Virginia community anchor institutions including K-20 
schools, museums, and libraries through the NetworkVirginia Sponsored 
Educational Group Participant program.

“The creation of the Mid-Atlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance (MARIA) 
and establishment of MARIA’s direct 2x5G Internet2 connection will be 
critical to efforts as diverse as UVA Professor Matthew Burtner’s 'Auksalaq: 
A Telematic Opera,' UVa’s new Center for Chemistry of the Universe, and our 
participation in important Internet2 NET+ Services,” said Michael R. 
McPherson, associate vice president and deputy CIO, The University of 
Virginia.

"MARIA represents the next cycle in the evolution of network infrastructure 
to enable research and advanced services in Virginia and the region," said 
Jeff Crowder, a member of the MARIA board and executive director for 
strategic initiatives, Communications Network Services, at Virginia Tech. 
"Inevitable technology-based transformations in research and education will 
require continually improving reliability and performance of services and 
increasing availability of optical and wireless networks. MARIA will focus on 
development of research infrastructure in collaboration among our members and 
with colleagues across the Internet2 community."

Additionally, MARIA in conjunction with the Mid Atlantic Crossroads (MAX) 
will adopt Internet2 Innovation Platform technologies aiming to create a 
regional environment for innovation in research and education.  The 
Innovation Platform is a set of disruptive technologies bundled in the 
Internet2 Network that create the first open, national-scale production test 
bed of revolutionary software-defined networking (SDN) and OpenFlow 
standards, combined with the abundant bandwidth of the world’s first 
transcontinental network deployment of 100G technology.

The Internet2 Network is the national high-performance network connecting 
America’s colleges and universities to research and education collaborators 
worldwide. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration’s 
(NTIA) Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) helped fund the 
network upgrade to 100 Gigabit Ethernet technologies and 8.8 Terabit per 
second capacity to support emerging bandwidth needs in research and 
education. The network upgrade also enables advanced networking features for 
more than 200,000 of the country’s essential community anchor institutions 
including libraries, hospitals, K-12 schools, community colleges and public 
safety organizations.

"We are delighted that universities throughout Virginia now have 2x5G direct 
connections to the upgraded 100G Internet2 Network to support the Innovation 
Platform participants and expand capabilities for the research and education 
community," said Rob Vietzke, Internet2 vice president of network services. 
"The new connections dramatically improve Virginia's ability to collaborate 
with hundreds of similarly connected advanced research organizations across 
the globe.”

About Internet2
Internet2® is a member-owned advanced technology community founded by the 
nation's leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2® provides a 
collaborative environment for U.S. research and education organizations to 
solve common technology challenges, and to develop innovative solutions in 
support of their educational, research and community service missions. Visit 
www.Internet2.edu for more information.

About Mid-Atlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance (MARIA), Inc.
The Mid-Atlantic Research Infrastructure Alliance (MARIA), Inc., is dedicated 
to facilitating access to advanced information, instruction, and research 
infrastructure technology and advancing research and education in the United 
States. MARIA is an independent Virginia nonstock corporation governed by its 
members. For more information, contact us at 
.

Media contacts:

Hudnall R. Croasdale, MARIA, 804-986-2765 or 

Todd Sedmak, Internet2, 202-331-5373 or 


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