CANARIE’s mandate renewed!

Minister of Finance, the Honourable Jim Flaherty, arrives to deliver the federal budget in the House of Commons on June 6, 2011.

Contributor: Kathryn Anthonisen, Vice President, Marketing at CANARIE

Well the budget has been tabled and after almost a year of advocacy, CANARIE was successful in renewing our mandate and funding for the next two years.

Whew!

First of all, we’d like to thank everyone who took the time to write a letter to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Industry, or his or her local MP. These letters clearly made a difference in our efforts, by letting government decision-makers know that there is a large community of users and supporters of the network, and that the network and its programs have become foundational digital infrastructure in Canada.

The process of advocating for our mandate renewal was a fascinating journey. Sometimes, as when I watched CANARIE’s President and CEO present in front of the House of Commons Finance Committee, I was humbled and awed to be part of Canadian democracy in action. While speaking with CANARIE users across the country, I was amazed at the huge variety of research that is reliant upon the network, and fascinated by the game-changing nature of some of this research. And working with the team at CANARIE, which has been busily ensuring that our current mandate is successfully completed, I am proud to be part of a group of such committed, professional and talented individuals.

And now we’ve got our work cut out for us: delivering on the three main areas we are pursuing in this mandate. Just to refresh your memory, our plan is to:

1. Evolve the network to meet growing demand, which means:

• increasing network bandwidth to address the trend of data-intensive research
• expanding the network to connect additional institutions
• providing core network funding assistance to support regional digital equity

2. Build network tools to speed time to discovery, which involves:

• developing a generic researcher environment
• creating discipline-specific plug-ins (e.g. health, social sciences) based on existing research platforms, to enhance researcher productivity
• cultivating the next generation of GreenIT by building on existing investments and supporting made-in-Canada solutions

3. Leverage the network to commercialize innovation, which means:

• Fully implement the Digital Accelerator for Innovation and Research (DAIR) Program, expanding access to a robust R & D environment where digital innovators can develop, refine, validate and demonstrate innovative products and services, and move them quickly to market.

It’s an incredibly exciting time at CANARIE – we’ll keep you posted on progress via our email blasts, website updates, CANARIE Connections newsletter and speaking engagements at conferences and events.

Stay tuned!

CANARIE a obtenu la reconduction de son mandat!

L'honorable Jim Flaherty, ministre des Finances | le 6 juin 2011

Contributrice: Kathryn Anthonisen, Vice présidente, Marketing chez CANARIE

Eh bien, le budget a finalement été déposé et, au terme de près d’un an de démarches, CANARIE a obtenu la reconduction de son mandat pour les deux années à venir.

Fiou!

Pour commencer, j’aimerais remercier tous ceux qui ont pris un peu de leur précieux temps pour écrire qui au premier ministre, qui au ministre des Finances, au ministre de l’Industrie ou à son député. De toute évidence, ces lettres ont fortifié nos propres efforts en prouvant aux décideurs du gouvernement qu’il existe bel et bien une vaste collectivité d’utilisateurs et d’adeptes du réseau, et que ce dernier, avec ses programmes, est véritablement devenu un des piliers de l’infrastructure numérique canadienne.

La manière dont nous avons défendu le renouvellement de notre mandat s’est avérée fascinante à plus d’un égard. Parfois – lorsque j’ai vu le président et chef de direction de CANARIE effectuer sa présentation au Comité des finances de la Chambre des communes, par exemple –, concourir de cette manière à notre démocratie en action m’a emplie tout à la fois d’humilité et d’admiration. Quand je me suis entretenue avec les utilisateurs de CANARIE, un peu partout au pays, j’ai été sidérée par l’incroyable diversité des recherches qui dépendent du réseau, tout comme j’ai été captivée par la nature, propre à changer les règles du jeu, de certains projets. Et après avoir travaillé avec l’équipe de CANARIE, qui n’a pas ménagé ses efforts pour s’assurer que la mission actuelle de l’organisme soit effectivement remplie, je suis on ne peut plus fière d’appartenir à un groupe de professionnels aussi déterminés et talentueux.

À présent, notre travail est tout tracé : progresser dans les trois voies que nous avons dessinées dans le cadre de ce nouveau mandat. Permettez-moi de vous rafraîchir la mémoire. Voici nos intentions.

1.    Développer le réseau pour qu’il réponde à une demande grandissante, soit, en d’autres termes :

• accroître la largeur de bande afin de suivre la tendance vers un usage de plus en plus massif des données en recherche
• élargir le réseau en y raccordant d’autres institutions;
• dispenser une aide financière aux réseaux pour garantir l’équité numérique entre les régions.

2.    Créer des outils réseau pour accélérer la découverte, ce qui suppose :

• mettre en place une plateforme générique pour la recherche;
• créer des modules spécifiques à certaines disciplines (par ex., sciences de la santé, sciences sociales) à partir des plateformes existantes, en vue d’accroître le rendement des chercheurs;
• introduire la prochaine génération de TI vertes en valorisant les investissements actuels et en misant sur des solutions typiquement canadiennes.

3.   Tirer parti du réseau pour commercialiser les innovations, c’est-à-dire :

• Mettre totalement en œuvre l’Accélérateur technologique pour l’innovation et la recherche (ATIR), ce qui permettra un plus vaste accès à une robuste plateforme de R-D sur laquelle les innovateurs du numérique pourront élaborer, perfectionner, valider et présenter des produits et des services novateurs qui parviendront ainsi plus rapidement sur le marché.

CANARIE traverse une époque palpitante – nous vous tiendrons au courant des progrès réalisés grâce à nos courriels, en actualisant notre site Web, au moyen du bulletin Connexions ainsi que lors d’allocutions aux congrès et à l’occasion d’autres activités.

Restez à l’écoute!

Ontario researchers monitor vineyards in real time

Imagine being a grape grower and being able to check on any one vine at any given time. Or being able to know exactly when to spray pesticides to protect the crops – or not.

University and college researchers have partnered with Ontario vineyards to supply them with real-time weather forecast information based on regional data sources. Part of this collaboration uses newly developed sensor technology that will continuously report on variables such as temperature and humidity in each participating vineyard.

Each individual vine in each vineyard has been GPS located, tagged and recorded into a database of the PrAgMatic system developed by Niagara Research at Niagara College. Large datasets collected by sensors are three-dimensionally mapped, and researchers involved in the project at other institutions are able to access the results over ORION, Ontario’s advanced research and education network. Vineyard owners are then able to access real-time, remote-sensed data that allows them to better manage and control operations, inputs and yields.

One of the goals of this project is to tell growers in real time if and when they need to spray pesticides and other agrochemicals. Research results may save growers time and money, improve the taste of Ontario wines, and improve vineyards’ impact on the environment by reducing the overall use of agrochemicals.

The recipient of this year’s ORION Discovery Award, the PrAgMatic project includes a collaboration of researchers from Niagara College, Brock University, the University of Guelph, Nova Scotia Community College, and Queen’s University, as well as partners from the Grape Growers of Ontario, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and IBM Research.  The project has been supported by the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA).

“Over the next few years, the ORION network will be very useful in allowing us to share these massive datasets with our expanding family of collaborators,” says Dr. Michael Duncan, Chair, Visualization Sciences at Niagara College. “The most data intensive applications will involve the sensor networks – as they kick in, the data volumes will become huge.”

The PrAgMatic data management system collects, processes and disseminates data and information to growers and researchers. The system consists of numerous ‘channels’, each representing a view into a vineyard’s data-space. Researchers involved in vineyard research are able to take their research results and encapsulate them as a channel that provides a grower with a view into their own vineyard.

“It is very Web 2.0 oriented,” says Duncan, “and very reliant on network bandwidth and latency to make the whole thing look integrated. The more robust the network, the more cohesive PrAgMatic will look – another advantage of using ORION.”

 

 

How do they make those amazing space pictures?

Ever wondered how they make those fascinating pictures of outer space?  Check out the video.

Live-blogging at Canada 3.0 – What does it take to “Be the Future”?

As Canada 3.0 starts to wrap up, it’s worth stepping back to reflect on its theme this year: “Be the Future”. These three little words pack a lot of weight. They act as a strong call to action to the Canada 3.0 participants and represent a mindset that inspires us to set our sights higher, our goals further and our activities more inclusive of our fellow innovators (because we’re not just talking about individual futures here, we’re talking about everyone’s future).

One of the morning security panel participants today answered a question with the caveat: “Technology has moved forward but we’re the same humans we were hundreds of years ago.” Hmmm…..really? Studies have shown that human behaviour, communication and interaction have come a long way. In fact, Leonard Brody, best-selling author, technology forecaster and business strategist, says that we are fundamentally different people than we were only a few years ago. Within a 10 year period, he says, from our ever-changing exposure to and engagement with technology and media, we as human beings have changed more than the institutions of govt, business and education that surround us. “The house doesn’t fit the people who live in it anymore,” he says. If what Brody says is true, that is going to add a weighty level of complexity to our new and inspirational mindset to “be the future.”

Luckily, one thing that hasn’t changed about the human race is its tenacity. This drive of ours to invent and advance our tools and processes is what has taken us this far. So it’s not technology alone that is changing the way we do business and perform research, it is the individual and community (both physical and virtual) behaviours that are enabling these changes.

The backchat happening in the #CDA30 Twitter feed is a prime example. Snippets from presenters’ sessions are being shared, deconstructed and commented on. This type of virtual conversation and collaboration is an example of how our expectations and applications of technologies have evolved and will continue to change as new tools are introduced. How many times have you heard someone say: “(X tool) would be so much better if it could just let me do (this)”. And somewhere, someone is likely responding: “Challenge accepted!”

In a sense, rather than saying humans have yet to catch up with today’s technologies, we may want look at it from the perspective of  technologies having finally caught up with the needs of today’s humans.

The projects and people we highlight in this blog are excellent examples of the trail blazers and supporters of what it takes to “be the future.” Ultimately, more technology education, community collaboration, and increased support for innovation will be what carries us even further. CANARIE and each of the provincial network organizations strive to build a supportive and foundational community for Canada’s innovators. What are your thoughts? What do you think is needed to “be the future”?

Canada’s Brightest Research Stars use Advanced Networks

CANARIE and Cybera are both pretty thrilled to see that Dr. Steve Liang has been named Tech Futures-Microsoft Scholar in Open Sensor Web Systems. CANARIE funded this project through its Network-Enabled Platforms program, and Cybera is the project manager. Dr. Liang is the Principal Investigator and self-described “sensor web evangelist.” This award, which comes with $220,000, will enable Dr. Liang to work on an extension of his GeoCENS project, which enables biogeoscientists to search, visualize and share geographical datasets using a 3D virtual platform. Dr. Liang will be presenting GeoCENS at the BCNET Conference next week (Tuesday, May 3).

More information about Dr. Liang’s research can be found at sensorweb.geomatics.ucalgary.ca. You can also follow him on twitter: @steveliang.

Read Cybera’s press release.

Congratulations, Dr. Liang!

Telepresence in Manitoba │ Téléprésence au Manitoba

(La version française suit l’anglais.)

Over the last two years MRnet has extended the reach of the regional research and education network to both Western Manitoba through a high speed link to Brandon and to Northern Manitoba through a high speed link to Thompson and the Pas. This brings the benefits of advanced networking to schools, post secondary institutions and research centres in those areas.

One of the first and most innovative uses of these new links has been telepresence video conferencing.

Telepresence technology is immersive and gives the impression to those using it that they are present at the remote locations they are connected to. It is like being in the same room. Telepresence allows for productive video conferencing and teaching, reduces travel time and therefore the carbon foot print.

There are telepresence rooms installed at Brandon University, University College of the North and the University of Winnipeg. The main control centre is housed at the University of Winnipeg and this centre is also connected to the telepresence control centres in the US and through them around the world. With this architecture, a professor in Brandon, for example, can connect to a site in Asia by pushing a button and do collaborative work over the telepresence network with high definition quality video and immersive sound. Almost like being there.

Since it was installed, the telepresence network has been used for many purposes in teaching, administration, international conferencing and research collaboration. It is a fine example of the value of advanced networking for very practical purposes with an immediate return.

Téléprésence au Manitoba

Au cours des deux dernières années, MRnet a étendu la portée du réseau régional de recherche et d’éducation au Manitoba grâce à un lien à grande vitesse avec Brandon dans l’Ouest et à un autre avec Thompson et The Pas dans le Nord. Ces nouveaux liens font profiter les écoles, les établissements d’enseignement postsecondaire et les centres de recherche des avantages du réseautage dans ces régions.

L’une des premières utilisations les plus innovatrices de ces nouveaux liens a été la visioconférence en téléprésence. La technologie de la téléprésence est immersive et donne l’impression aux personnes qui l’utilisent d’être physiquement dans les endroits éloignés auxquels elles sont connectées. C’est comme si tous les participants se trouvaient dans la même pièce. La téléprésence améliore l’efficacité des visioconférences et de l’enseignement, réduit les déplacements et, par conséquent, l’empreinte de carbone.

Des salles de téléprésence sont installées à l’Université de Brandon, au University College of the North et à l’Université de Winnipeg. Le centre principal de contrôle se trouve à l’Université de Winnipeg et ce centre est également relié aux centres de contrôle de téléprésence aux États-Unis et, par leur intermédiaire, au monde entier. Grâce à cette architecture, un professeur à Brandon, par exemple, peut se connecter à un site en Asie en appuyant sur un bouton et faire du travail collaboratif sur le réseau de téléprésence doté d’une qualité vidéo à haute définition et d’un son immersif. C’est presque comme si on y était.

Depuis sa mise en place, le réseau de téléprésence a servi à plusieurs fins dans les domaines de l’enseignement, de l’administration, des conférences internationales et des collaborations de recherche. Il s’agit là d’un bel exemple de la valeur du réseautage de pointe appliqué à des fins très pratiques qui donne des résultats immédiats.

Dr. Alan Evans talks about GBRAIN (Global Brain Imaging Research Network)

Advanced networks and high performance computing are supporting a new frontier of brain research. Listen to what one of Canada’s most esteemed scientists has to say about digital innovation in health research…..the possibilities are infinite!

Ryerson University leads development of global campus HD IP broadcast network

//
Toronto’s Ryerson University is pioneering the development of a CNN-style network for universities around the world using high-definition (HD) video streaming technology broadcast over IP networks.

Led by Ryerson’s Richard Grunberg, Director of Photography, Head of Video, and Assistant Professor in the School of Radio and Television Arts, the project represents the first truly collaborative international student perspective of worldwide events and creative endeavours. Prof. Grunberg initiated the research looking into the feasibility of using high-end HD video streaming technology to support the transmittal of broadcast quality content over IP networks, instead of costly satellite.

“With the aim of building a cost-effective ‘CNN’ of the university world, we hope to connect university channels and digital signage systems around the globe, to build a Canada-wide cable TV and trans-media platform, and to connect related researchers everywhere,” said Prof. Grunberg.

Using a new Ryerson broadcast adaptation of technology developed by Montreal-based HAIVISION, Prof. Grunberg recently carried out the first intercontinental tests between Ryerson and the Auckland University of Technology. Along ORION, CANARIE, KAREN (New Zealand’s research and education network) and standard high-speed internet connections, full 1080 HD content was transmitted both ways, with audio, IFB and Intercom, imperceptible delay, and all in one box with no image or sound breakup.

In the next few months, Prof. Grunberg will be busy presenting the Global Campus Network and associated technology at the upcoming Society of Motion Picture Engineers conference, the National Association of Broadcasters convention, and at a lecture at the Broadcast Educators Association meeting.

The Ryerson and New Zealand research collaboration follows earlier research and testing of ultra-high definition IP broadcast technologies over ORION, involving HAIVISION low-latency IP video gear, linking Ryerson, Sudbury’s Laurentian University and TFO, Ontario’s French-language educational broadcaster. The testing was profiled in a previous edition of the ORION newsletter (www.orion.on.ca/newsletter/may10/hdtest.html).

TFO is looking at using IP video and advanced networks to transmit broad production and broadcast interviews and other content. ORION has continued to collaborate with TFO and provided access to the network at ORION’s advanced network facilities over several days in December to facilitate ongoing testing of IP-based high-definition video.

View more in the research and its findings at www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SS5J_WiibQO and the unedited tests at www.youtube.com/watch?v=8cG4OWLxW94.

Quick Post: CANARIE Newsletter // Bulletin de CANARIE

La version française suit.

First Brazil … then the world! Parabéns! (congratulations!), to the Science Studio team for beating other platforms from around the world to be chosen as the remote experiment-management platform for Brazil’s national synchrotron. Science Studio, led by researchers at the University of Western Ontario, is a CANARIE-funded Network-Enabled Platforms project. Science Studio is already in use at Canada’s national synchrotron facility, the Canadian Light Source, in Saskatoon. The Brazilian synchrotron will also deploy the underlying software used by the Canadian Light Source, and will continue to collaborate with Canadian researchers.Looks like Australia’s next … Read more »	Users’ Forum Participants: Your Message Was Heard! More than 80 passionate voices calling for an integrated Canadian digital infrastructure came together at the CANARIE Users’ Forum, held in Toronto in late November. Consensus on the need to move forward with a vision and a plan for implementing an integrated digital infrastructure in Canada was pervasive. One group described the movement to consensus as “viral.” The group clearly gave a mandate to CANARIE and its sister organization Compute Canada to proceed – and to do so quickly. Read more »	CANARIE helps tech firms soar with DAIR CANARIE’s Digital Accelerator for Innovation and Research – DAIR – was recently launched as a research-and-development environment to support small and medium-sized companies in creating and demonstrating new, complex, large-scale products. The aim of the DAIR Program – initially a pilot program – is to significantly reduce the time required to develop and verify new products and ideas particularly in large scale. For small and medium-sized enterprises, this research and development environment removes the need to develop a sophisticated – and costly – product development and test environment, freeing up capital, space, power and people resources to focus on product innovation and testing. Read more »
More News: Disasters Are Unpredictable … Effective Disaster Response Isn’t The recent massive flooding in Australia shows how quick and effective response to disasters can literally mean the difference between life and death. Read more » Quick Riffs on a Fast Network Music students in Ottawa are taking their cue from world-renowned jazz masters through the National Arts Centre’s Manhattan on the Rideau program, which connects Canadian students to musician-mentors via live, high-quality videoconferencing powered by the CANARIE Network. Read more » R U Ready 4 IPv6? We R! IPv6 is the future standard for all network operations. Full IPv6 functionality supports global connectivity to digital leaders such as China, India and South Korea, and enables better performance when accessing IPv6 commercial content. Read more » » More news News we can use? Please forward newsworthy items, or feedback on the content or format of this newsletter, to Kathryn.Anthonisen@canarie.ca.
© CANARIE Inc. CANARIE Inc. | 45 O’Connor St., Suite 500 | Ottawa, ON | K1P 1A4 | 613-943-5454 | info@canarie.ca
D’abord le Brésil – ensuite le monde Parabéns (félicitations!) à l’équipe de Science Studio qui a battu les autres plateformes en lice de la planète et a été retenue pour l’expérience de gestion à distance du synchrotron brésilien. Science Studio est piloté par des chercheurs de l’Université Western Ontario et est financé dans le cadre du Programme de plateformes sur réseau de CANARIE. Le Centre canadien de rayonnement synchrotron (CCRS), à Saskatoon, utilise déjà Science Studio. Le synchrotron brésilien déploiera lui aussi le logiciel de la plateforme employée au CCRS et entend poursuivre sa collaboration avec les chercheurs canadiens. Plus sur le sujet »	Participants du Forum des utilisateurs : nous vous avons entendus! Plus de 80 voix se sont élevées avec feu pour que le Canada se dote d’une infrastructure numérique intégrée au Forum des utilisateurs de CANARIE, qui se déroulait à Toronto, en novembre dernier. Le consensus est général. Il faut aller de l’avant avec une vision et un plan qui procureront au pays une infrastructure numérique cohérente. Un groupe a qualifié ce mouvement consensuel de « viral ». Les participants ont clairement confié à CANARIE et à son pendant, Calcul Canada, le soin de passer à l’action sans attendre. Plus sur le sujet »	CANARIE aide les sociétés de haute technologie à prendre leur essor avec l’ATIR L’Accélérateur technologique pour l’innovation et la recherche (ATIR) récemment inauguré par CANARIE se veut un environnement de recherche et de développement qui aidera les petites et moyennes entreprises à créer, puis à faire la démonstration de nouveaux produits complexes à grande échelle. L’ATIR, qui devrait être opérationnel à la fin de mars 2011, intéressera aussi les chercheurs en TIC qui se penchent sur les technologies Internet de la prochaine génération. Plus sur le sujet »
Autres nouvelles Les cataclysmes sont imprévisibles, pas la façon de bien y réagir Les inondations catastrophiques survenues récemment en Australie montrent combien une réaction rapide et efficace peut littéralement faire la distinction entre la vie et la mort. Plus sur le sujet » Un réseau qui fait jazzer Les étudiants en musique d’Ottawa sont dirigés par des grands maîtres du jazz dans le cadre du programme Manhattan au canal Rideau du Centre national des arts qui les associe à des musiciens jouant le rôle de mentor, grâce à un système de vidéoconférence de haute qualité sur le réseau CANARIE. Ces ateliers uniques, proposés quatre fois l’an, constituent une extraordinaire expérience d’apprentissage pour les étudiants du monde entier et pour la faculté de jazz de la Manhattan School of Music. Plus sur le sujet » Prêts pour l’IPv6? Nous le sommes! L’IPv6 est la future norme qui s’appliquera à l’ensemble des opérations réseau. Une fonctionnalité IPv6 complète facilitera l’accès au contenu commercial utilisant l’IPv6 tel Google, et autorisera une connectivité globale avec les chefs de file du numérique comme la Chine, l’Inde et la Corée du Sud. Plus sur le sujet » » Autres nouvelles Vous avez du neuf? Faite parvenir les articles dignes d’intérêt ou vos commentaires sur le contenu ou la présentation de ce bulletin à Kathryn.Anthonisen@canarie.ca.
© CANARIE inc. CANARIE Inc. | 45, rue O’Connor, Bureau 500 | Ottawa (Ontario) | K1P 1A4 | 613-943-5454 | info@canarie.ca

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