Partners in ACT's European project, VISEUM, are currently working to get the networking infrastructure established between the various sites. This is proving to be an interesting challenge. The network makes use of ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) technology in order to provide the connection speeds needed to transfer image data.
Since this is a relatively new technology participants are learning their way as the project proceeds. Building the network involves connecting a diverse group of establishments in several countries on two continents.
At this point preliminary testing of links between Berlin and London and between Vancouver and Berlin has been done. The next step will be to establish a connection between Vancouver and London, through Berlin. The final step will then be to connect the Louvre in Paris to the network. Once the network infrastructure has been established the participants will begin testing at the application level, initially transferring images and information between the sites. The culmination of the process will be the establishment of an international virtual museum, with images retrieved from the collections of the different museums and displayed at the other participants' locations.
VISEUM Chosen as G7-GIBN Reference Project
VISEUM was accepted at the G7-GIBN (Global Interoperability of Broadband Networks) project meeting held in Rome last month as a reference pilot project of G7-GIBN. GIBN is a G7 initiative that is coordinated by Industry Canada. The program's main objective is to provide a common basis for the promotion of joint R&D, demonstrations and pre-commercial trials of advanced high-speed services and applications, through existing mechanisms that are available nationally and internationally.
While being selected as a GIBN reference project does not provide any direct financial benefits, it raises the profile of the project and helps to assure cooperation in resolving thing such as networking issues.