Alcatel and Syracuse University Team Up to Advance Telecommunications Technologies
BusinessWire, 08/22/2000 08:12
CALABASAS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2000--Alcatel Internetworking Inc. and Syracuse University's School of Information Studies have announced a joint agreement to establish the Center for Excellence in Broadband Applications (CEBA) under the auspices of the school's Community Information and Technology Institute (CITI).
The center will evaluate, test and demonstrate advanced telecommunications technologies and applications that would benefit the public sector.
As part of the agreement, Alcatel will provide a $200,000 grant to CITI to establish the center. In addition, Alcatel will provide advanced broadband equipment, including high-speed switches, IP telephony, multiplexers, computer hardware and software, and other devices used to build and access high-speed telecommunications networks. The CEBA will be located in the University's Center for Science and Technology.
"CEBA will be a focal point for information about the technologies and how new technologies could be adopted by government agencies, health-care institutions, the education community and other non-governmental organizations," said Murali Venkatesh, professor and director of CITI.
"The key is to enable decision-makers in government and community organizations to be more aware of the broadband technologies, applications and services that are available through education and demonstrations or `show how.'"
The center -- the first of its kind that Alcatel has helped establish in a university setting -- will also provide School of Information Studies' undergraduate and graduate students unprecedented opportunities to work with cutting-edge marketplace technologies, to study technology transfer issues and to develop advanced information technology applications and solutions for the public sector.
"Through their involvement as interns and graduate assistants, students will develop a stronger understanding of the technologies and management issues that are relevant in today's telecommunications environment," said Wayne Miner, assistant director of CITI.
"SU's School of Information Studies is not just a regional, but a national and international education, research and policy collaborative, providing a focus on current and future telecommunications and information technology issues," said Alan Amrod, Alcatel's vice president of North American Field Marketing.
"This strategic business investment for Alcatel, rooted in the user community, will help accelerate the introduction of new technology into the marketplace, identify opportunities for innovation and help us acquire a deeper knowledge of new markets."
The idea for a center like CEBA grew out of research that CITI conducted last year for the New York State Office of Technology, which looked at broadband community network development in Central New York.
"We found a low level of knowledge about broadband networking among people who are making major investment decisions about technology solutions for their organizations," Venkatesh said. "We recommended the establishment of a `new technology cell' as a focal point for testing and disseminating information about broadband technology."
A window of opportunity for CITI to put its recommendation into action opened up last fall when Miner attended a presentation by Alcatel representatives during a conference in Seattle.
"During the presentation, the representatives said the company was interested in proposals for developing research partnerships with universities," Miner said. That presentation led to further conversations between CITI and Alcatel representatives and ultimately CITI's proposal for establishing a broadband applications center at the School of Information Studies.
Among the projects the CEBA will tackle is one that will incorporate Alcatel Internet security solutions into a Syracuse MetroNet video test-bed project that CITI is conducting with the Onondaga County Department of Social Services and SUNY Upstate Medical University (SUNY Upstate). The video test-bed projects are designed to enable community agencies to test a low-cost, high-speed videoconferencing system that uses ordinary telephone lines and the Internet.
The system relies on ADSL (asymmetric digital subscriber line) technology, a high-speed computer modem that can transmit data over ordinary telephone lines 100 times faster than modems currently on the market.
One of the video test-bed projects is designed to make it easier for elderly hospital patients, many of who are waiting for placement in nursing homes, to apply for Medicaid benefits. The project connects the county Department of Social Services, which is located in the Civic Center in downtown Syracuse, with SUNY Upstate.
Social workers will interview clients via the videoconferencing system rather than travel to the hospital or ask the clients' relatives to travel to the department's offices. The system is expected to eliminate travel, reduce costs and improve the delivery of services.
"Through its involvement in these kinds of projects, CEBA will be a tremendous asset not only to the public sector, but also to the school's undergraduate and graduate programs," Venkatesh said. "The lab will provide students with new opportunities for learning. It is important that we teach the next generation of information technology leaders to think creatively about this technology."
About Alcatel
Alcatel builds next-generation networks, delivering integrated end-to-end voice and data networking solutions to established and new carriers, as well as enterprises and consumers worldwide. With 120,000 employees and sales of U.S.$23 billion in 1999, Alcatel operates in more than 130 countries. For more information, visit Alcatel on the Internet: alcatel.com
CONTACT: Alcatel, Calabasas
Teresa Mack, 818/878-4620
teresa.mack@ind.alcatel.com |
