August 13, 2019
Key collaboration boosting research, academic information technology at K-State
Submitted by Communications and Marketing
The need for speed with information technology is getting a major boost at Kansas State University thanks to a special collaboration involving Gary Pratt, K-State's chief information officer.
Pratt, the chief information officers at the University of Kansas and Wichita State University, and the executive directors of KanREN and the Great Plains Network have negotiated a faster, more resilient internet connection with significantly increased bandwidth. The implementation of this new 100 gigabit-per-second connection to Internet2 has been completed by KanREN, a member-based consortium providing internet and network technologies to research, education and public service institutions in Kansas.
Internet2 operates the nation’s largest and fastest, coast-to-coast research and education network, of which K-State and other leading research and education organizations are members.
"This collaborative effort will provide us faster, more reliable connections that will help facilitate our move to the cloud and enhance support for research, teaching and learning, and administrative information technology services," said Gary Pratt, chief information officer at K-State. "This is an exciting step for K-State technology."
Pratt said K-State previously shared a 100 Gbps connection to Internet2 with five other Midwest states through the Great Plains Network.
"The new connection provides service exclusively to KanREN members and the state of Kansas, including universities, K-12 schools, municipalities and others," he said.
The Great Plains Network is a nonprofit consortium aggregating networks through GigaPoP connections while advocating research on behalf of universities and community innovators across the Midwest and Great Plains who seek collaboration, cyberinfrastructure and support for big data and big ideas at the speed of the modern internet.