RESTON, VA -- The potential for using global, next-generation networks to significantly change the way science is conducted will be showcased at INET 2000, The Internet Global Summit, where researchers from around the world will collaborate in iGrid2000, sharing computing resources and data over high-speed networks to solve complex computational programs.

'In the old world, research resources had to be under one roof,' said Don Heath, president of the Internet Society, the organization producing INET. 'In the new model, computers don't have to be in the same building, same town or same country. The iGrid2000 program will show the future of collaboration where ease of access to computers, databases, instruments or virtual reality devices, regardless of where they are located, gives researchers access to whatever they need. It promises to change the way people do science worldwide.'

To draw attention to the importance of this evolving global information infrastructure, iGrid2000 is soliciting demonstrations that feature technological innovations and application advancements requiring high-speed networks, with emphasis on distributed supercomputing, tele-immersion, remote instrumentation, large datasets, collaboration, digital video, streaming media and high-definition television. Proposals are sought for interactive applications in computational science and engineering research, health care, manufacturing, education, cultural heritage and climate.

The iGrid program is part of INET 2000, the 10th annual conference of the Internet Society (ISOC), scheduled July 18 to 21 in Yokohama, Japan. iGrid2000 demonstration proposals are being accepted through Tuesday, March 14, 2000. For information about proposal submission guidelines, equipment and network technical information at iGrid2000, visit .

The demonstration is organized by the Electronic Visualization Laboratory (EVL) at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology at Indiana University (IU), in collaboration with University of Tokyo and Keio University. At the inaugural iGrid in 1998 , the network connected research organizations and institutions in 10 countries. The applications included research on a huge range of major initiatives, including colliding black holes, high-speed train and aircraft aerodynamics, remote visualization of electron microscopy data, tele-manufacturing, a global shared database for crystallography, collaborative project design using distributed virtual reality technology and a global digital video network. Researchers in the U.S. could see the output of a high-powered microscope in Japan and an audience in Florida could see a distance learning program in Russia via a high-speed network connection through Chicago.

"This evolved from a National Science Foundation program to encourage international connectivity so collaborators could talk worldwide", said Tom DeFanti of the University of Illinois at Chicago and co-chair of iGrid2000. "The big surge in international connectivity started in 1997, and iGrid 1998 provided one of the first forums where researchers from the U.S. and foreign countries could demonstrate their work globally. INET 2000, with its international focus and the ISOC history of promoting networking, is the perfect venue for iGrid2000".

The iGrid2000 booth will have Silicon Graphics (SGI) Unix workstations and Windows/NT/Linux PCs connected to ImmersaDesk^Ù display devices that can be run in virtual reality (stereoscopic) or large-screen (monoscopic) mode. The booth will be connected to the Japanese Gigabit Network (JGN), to the APAN network and to the APAN/TransPAC (90Mbps) link to STAR TAP.

INET is regarded as the premier event in the Internet industry; conference details and registration information are available at the Internet Society Web site .

About ISOC
The Internet Society is the leading non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the open evolution, development and use of the Internet for the benefit of all peoples of the world. It is the acknowledged champion and focal point for Internet self-governance, and it is the only organization whose members have been involved in all aspects of the Internet since its inception. The Internet Society has active members in 150 countries, and assumes a leadership role in developing and disseminating Internet policy on technical and societal issues, providing education and training for Internet professionals and generally representing the best interests of the Internet. Additional information can be obtained by contacting the Internet Society at 703 326 9880; http://www.isoc.org; email INET2000@isoc.org; or by writing to 11150 Sunset Hills Road, Suite 100, Reston, VA, USA 20190-5321 or to 4, rue des Falaises, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland.

Note to Editors: Press is invited to register for INET 2000 free of charge. Press facility and registration information is available at the Internet Society's Web site

Contact:
Liz Deakin, Rick Cook
The Gable Group
ph: +1.619.234.1300
inet2000-press@isoc.org