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Begun in October 1996 by 34 US research universities, Internet2 today has over 140 member universities which are working with corporate and affiliate members.
Member universities
Faculty, staff and students at Internet2 universities are carrying out much, and form the largest part, of the Internet2 project. In joining the Internet2 collaborative effort, the chancellor or president of each university has committed significant resources towards upgrading campus networks, connecting to regional gigaPoP efforts, and the providing the facilities for advanced application development.
Corporate partners
Corporate partners have committed to supporting the efforts of member universities through close collaboration, including contributions of more than $1 million over the course of the project. Industry participation is key to realizing Internet2's goal of broad diffusion of advanced networking capabilities. Corporate sponsors and corporate members are also working with the university and affiliate members of the Internet2 project.
Affiliate members
Affiliate members are organizations with a strong interest in the mission and goals of the Internet2 project. Many affiliate members are providing leadership in developing the Internet2 gigaPoPs.
Internet2 Working Groups have been established to explore specific technical challenges related to enabling advanced network applications. Some of these challenges include implementing scalable quality of service, IPv6, and multicasting. Working group members include representatives from Internet2 universities, as well as affiliate and corporate members.
Internet2 Initiatives such as I2-DSI (Internet2 Distributed Storage Infrastructure), I2-DVN (Internet2 Digital Video Network) and the QBone (Quality of service Backbone test bed) have been undertaken to explore and deploy new network technologies needed realize the Internet2 project's goal of enabling advanced applications.
A compact central staff supports the efforts of individuals from the university, corporate and affiliate members. With the rapid growth of the Internet2 project, the University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) was established in September 1997 to provide an organizational home for the effort. UCAID, along with its partners, undertook the Abilene Project in support of Internet2 in April 1998. UCAID's Board of Trustees and Advisory Councils provide guidance for the Internet2 project. |
