Logicalis Press Release: Logicalis Group provides high speed Latin American Research & Education network and Transatlantic Link
Press Release
6 June 2005 - Logicalis Group is successfully implementing ALICE (America Latina Interconectada Con Europa) - the first high speed backbone network and direct transatlantic link for the benefit of the research and education communities in Latin America and Europe.
The contract has involved procurement of equipment and third-party network providers as well as installation. Project management for the implementation is being handled by Logicalis in the UK, and Latin America.
The network is a ground-breaking new infrastructure which will provide, for the first time ever, direct 155 Mbps connectivity in a ring topology to link the National Research and Education Networks (NRENs) of Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Panama and Mexico. In addition, the Venezuelan NREN will be connected to the ring via a 45Mbps circuit between Caracas and Sao Paulo. Further connections linking the NRENs of Uruguay and Paraguay to the ring will follow.
ALICE is 80 per cent funded by the European Commission, and has 4 European and 19 Latin American partners, including the Latin American research networking association CLARA (Cooperación Latinoamericana de Redes Avanzadas). The ALICE project will last until the end of May 2006 and is managed by DANTE. It was set up originally in 2003 to develop the RedCLARA network, which provides existing IP research network infrastructure within the Latin American region and towards Europe.
DANTE (Delivery of Advanced Network Technology to Europe) plans, builds and operates pan-European networks for research and education. It is owned by European NRENs (national research and education networks), and works in partnership with them and in cooperation with the European Commission.
ALICE will be connected at 622 Mbps to the multi-gigabit pan-European, research and education data communications network GÉANT via a backbone connection point in Madrid, Spain. GÉANT provides the highest capacity and offers the greatest geographic coverage of any network of its kind in the world - reaching over 3,500 research and education institutions in 32 European countries through its direct connection to 28 NRENs.
The GÉANT project is a collaboration between 26 National Research and Education Networks representing 30 countries across Europe, the European Commission, and DANTE. Its principal purpose has been to develop the GÉANT network but the project also covers a number of other activities relating to research networking. These include network testing, development of new technologies and support for some research projects with specific networking requirements.
GÉANT2, the successor to GÉANT, officially began on 1 September 2004. The two projects will run side-by-side until June 2005.
GÉANT2 is the seventh generation of pan-European research and education network. The project within which the network is funded began officially on 1 September 2004, and will run for four years. GÉANT2 is co-funded by the European Commission and Europe's national research and education networks, and is managed by DANTE.
The ALICE circuits are leased from infrastructure providers including Global Crossing selected by a public procurement exercise carried out between June 2003 and April 2004 according to EC procurement procedures.
Jens Montanana, CEO Logicalis Group, says, "ALICE will have a very positive effect on the Latin American scientific and academic community, diminishing both the digital divide within the region and the existing technology gap with Europe and encouraging a greater knowledge exchange."
About Logicalis
Logicalis is an international provider of high-performance IT integration solutions. The Logicalis Group employs 800 people worldwide, including highly-trained service specialists who specify, design, deploy and manage IT infrastructure to meet the needs of over 5,000 corporate and public sector customers. Logicalis maintains strong partnerships with technology leaders such as IBM, HP and Cisco.
In addition, Logicalis in the UK has achieved independent triple certification for its integrated management system supporting computing and communications solutions, information security and IT service management offerings: ISO 9001/2000; BS7799 and BS15000 respectively.
The Logicalis Group is a division of Datatec Limited, a $2.5 billion business listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. With its international headquarters in the UK, Logicalis' global revenue is approaching $500 million from operations in the U.S., UK, Germany, and South America. For more information, visit www.logicalis.com .
For more information, please contact:
Tara Sinclair
Fleishman-Hillard
+44 (0)207 582 0609
+44 (0)7974 398 414
sinclair@fleishmaneurope.com
