Premier U.S. Research Network Opens Door to Corporate America
Darkstrand, Inc. announced today that the company has purchased and will commercialize one-half of all capacity on the most advanced research backbone in the United States, the National LambdaRail (NLR). The NLR networks support large-scale digital production work for research groups that need multi-gigabit speed and access to high-performance computing power.
NLR users include NASA, the U.S. Department of Energy and nearly 200 pre-eminent institutions like the Jet Propulsion, Oak Ridge and Los Alamos Laboratories. The NLR backbone hosts major global initiatives that focus on space travel, human genome mapping, oil and gas exploration, nuclear medicine and national security.
“For the first time, companies in the business of production will have access to the kind of network power that can drive real innovation and give them first-to-market advantage on a competitive global stage,” said Michael Stein, CEO of Darkstrand. “Creators of entertainment content, product manufacturers, bio-technology companies and financial exchanges operate in a constrained environment. These industries need the seamless speed and real-time functionality that can enable collaborative work teams to view and manipulate massive amounts of digital data across remote locations.”
Darkstrand will sell network capacity across a 12,000-mile fiber optic footprint that connects 30 cities from the eastern seaboard to the west coast. According to Stein, more than 1.5 million potential customers are located near these metro areas, and the company is working with six corporations that want first access to the NLR network. “We’re encouraged but not surprised by the pre-launch response. From experience, we know the value that Corporate America places on the ability to integrate all enterprise resources—network, tools, applications and people—in a highly-evolved network environment like NLR.”
The company has positioned itself at the nexus of next-generation research and the marketplace. As the commercializing agent, Darkstrand’s goal is to close the gap between research institutions that are focused on advancing technology and corporations that want the benefit of those advances now. Affordable use of the fully-operational network is only one part of that dynamic. Commercial customers will also have ongoing access to new technology as it develops and an unparalleled level of problem-solving assistance through global experts and suppliers.
“The worldwide high-speed networking community has accelerated the pace of optical network development in recent years to keep up with research demand,” said Tom DeFanti, PhD and renowned network and visualization expert at Calit2, University of California, San Diego. “We’ve been very aware of the disconnection between what is possible in our NLR-networked visualization labs and what is available commercially. The inability to use applied technologies as they evolve and are proven is a critical obstacle for companies, especially those in the media space that need to create content, collapse pipeline production times, and link facilities into one network.”
Another disconnect on Darkstrand’s radar is the untapped potential of network infrastructure in many metro areas to create new business opportunities through economic incentives. The company is launching a legislative outreach effort to raise awareness at the metro and state level of the value of public/private partnerships.
According to Tom West, CEO of the National LambdaRail, Darkstrand and NLR share many synergies: “Both organizations are focused on the common goal of advancing technology research initiatives through next-generation networks like NLR. For years, our member institutions have used their expertise to advance new technology and applications well beyond all industry expectations. In working with Darkstrand, NLR now has an unprecedented opportunity to introduce those advances into the marketplace.”
About Darkstrand, Inc.
Illinois-based Darkstrand, Inc. brings to the marketplace a validated and always-evolving generation of advanced networking that shortens time to insight and expands productivity for companies wanting a competitive edge. The next wave of innovation—better product design, new medicines, ultra high-definition entertainment and fast transaction capability—will ride on the networks lit by Darkstrand. For more information about Darkstrand visit http://www.darkstrand.com.
About National LambdaRail
National LambdaRail, Inc. (NLR) is a major initiative of U.S. research universities and private sector technology companies to provide a national scale infrastructure for research and experimentation in networking technologies and applications. NLR puts the control, the power and the promise of experimental network infrastructure in the hands of our nation’s scientists and researchers. For more information about the National LambdaRail visit http://www.nlr.net.