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University of New Mexico and Tribal Virtual Network select inSORS to enable multisite Grid Collaboration inSORS to provide
custom Access Grid solution September 9, 2002
Chicago, IL - inSORS
Integrated Communications, Inc., a communications software developer
and integrator specializing in multi-point grid collaboration,
is supplying the University of New Mexico's Tribal Virtual Network
(TVN) with a custom five-site inSORS Access Grid solution. Funded
by the Department of Commerce's Technology Opportunities Program,
TVN's goal with its Access Grid deployment is to break down the
barriers to access for tribes and pueblos.
The University of
New Mexico's Arts of the Americas Institute is working with a
consortium of Native American communities to provide broadband
Internet connectivity to five tribal museums and culture centers.
Dr. Maria Williams, Associate Director at the University of New
Mexico, is the Principal Investigator for the grant and is the
lead on the project. "The greatest barrier in the digital
divide is low cost, but highly capable solutions. inSORS has developed
a solution that reduces the cost of an Access Grid network and
enables communities to collaborate and develop."
The inSORS Access
Grid will provide the technological means to conduct remote meetings,
site visits, training sessions, and general educational events.
Connecting through the inSORS Access Grid will allow the museums
and cultural centers to develop web-based exhibitions and databases,
cultural and arts education programs in traditional languages
for the tribal members, and cultural education programs for the
public. The inSORS Access Grid will also allow the communities
to access distance education courses provided for museum management
and professional artist development. Further, officials will be
able to develop their own distance education courses over the
inSORS Access Grid and develop e-commerce capabilities for artists
in their communities.
Today, most tribes
find themselves grappling with a variety of issues having to do
with maintenance of their cultural heritage, preserving indigenous
languages, and educating tribal and non-tribal members about the
cultural riches of the tribes. Tribal museums have become an important
means for tribes to control the depiction of their cultures -depictions
that have taken on greater importance with the realization that
the art, language, and culture is central to a tribe's identity.
The inSORS Access
Grid will provide the technology necessary to develop modern,
technologically enriched museums as well as enable museum officials
to access professional training online. Local artisans will be
able to use the inSORS Access Grid to cultivate larger, more lucrative
markets for their products. The inSORS Access Grid model is a
highly replicable solution for other tribes facing similar issues
and opportunities.
The tribal consortium involved in this project includes the Pueblos of Zuni, Jemez and Pojoaque, the Indian Pueblo Culture Center of Albuquerque, and the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
inSORS recognizes
that the TVN consortium is bridging the digital divide in New
Mexico. inSORS has prepared an original, custom designed server
for TVN, which will allow each site to tap into the Access Grid
community. The solution not only fits within the grant's framework
but also works within the sites' lower bandwidth requirements.
Their product, the inSORS Grid, is the commercialized Access Grid
prototype that originated in the government and university research
communities.
The inSORS Grid
accelerates the adoption of grid collaboration by the commercial
sector with inSORS providing value-added professional services
to implement nodes quickly and efficiently. The inSORS Grid
includes client and venue software, documentation and technical
support, and a comprehensive range of professional services
including installation, network consulting, and training. inSORS
also offers custom configurations and private venues.
For more information on inSORS, please contact Jim Miller at (312) 786-9169 or visit www.insors.com. |
