ANN ARBOR ? Innovators developing and deploying advanced applications that require the use of a dedicated optical circuit with capabilities up to 10 gigabits per second are now eligible to win a new category of Internet2 awards.

The new Wave of the Future category is part of the Internet2 Driving Exemplary Applications Awards program. The contest is open to existing or proposed applications.

Internet2 IDEA awards are designed to showcase projects that apply the latest in advanced networking capabilities to enable transformational progress in research, to enhance teaching and learning, and to potentially increase the impact of next-generation networks around the world.

Through sponsorship provided by Level 3, the winning submission in the Wave of the Future category will receive a dedicated, point-to- point optical circuit of up to 10 Gbps on the new Internet2 network infrastructure between two connector sites for a one year period. The circuit will be provided specifically to support and enable the award- winning project.

“As new technologies spawn innovation, the new capabilities of the

Internet2 network infrastructure will open the door to new ways of thinking about advanced applications,” said Ray Ford, chief information and technology officer at the University of Montana and new chair of the Internet2 Applications, Middleware & Services Advisory Council (AMSAC). “The new IDEA award category recognizes those in our community whose imaginations allow them to embrace something never-before tried, and turn it into the next thing our community can’t imagine living without.”

Internet2 IDEA Award submissions are judged by a panel of leaders from the Internet2 community on the following criteria:

* Magnitude of the positive impact of the application for its current users

* Technical merit of the application

* Breadth of impact, as indicated by current user base, and likelihood of broader adoption by its full natural community of potential users

Additionally, submissions must have had a positive impact in one or more of the following areas:

* Innovation in Research

* Advances in Teaching & Learning

* Scientific Discovery

* Global Collaboration

For more information, click on Internet2.Org

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