Calgary, AB (February 28, 2011) – Effective this week, creativity at The Banff Centre will be enhanced by faster internet connectivity. Hundreds of artists, business leaders, and international guests will now have speedier access to sites like Google, YouTube and Facebook, provided through a Cybera-hosted connection to the Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX).
The Banff Centre is the second post-secondary institution in Alberta to connect to the SIX using Cybera’s new transit exchange services, which allow users to bypass regular commercial Internet queues en route to a selection of high-traffic sites. The University of Alberta has been using Cybera to connect to the SIX since early January.
“Cybera’s new networking services enable our members to get the most cost-effective direct access to major Internet sites, regardless of whether that member is located in a major city or nestled in the Rocky Mountains,” says Robin Winsor, President and CEO of Cybera.
The Banff Centre’s commitment to fostering creativity in all artistic disciplines, including digital and new media, means fast and reliable Internet access is integral to its operations. According to Melinda Sampson, Manager, IT Infrastructure & Services, the Centre’s greatest traffic loads come in the summer months when the campus hosts multiple programs, events, and conferences. Guests typically show up with three or four mobile devices and it’s during those high-demand times when the faster connection will really pay off.
“This initiative will make a real difference during our busy periods,” said Sampson. “Artists, researchers and conference guests will benefit from this because it’s going to reduce the congestion on our commercial Internet connection.”
The University of Alberta is already seeing the benefits of its connection to Cybera’s transit exchange earlier this year. The connection has been running smoothly with no unscheduled outages and traffic continues to grow each week. Looking ahead, Cybera is preparing to partner with CANARIE, Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network, to establish a peering connection with the Toronto Internet Exchange (TorIX). Cybera’s connection to the SIX is enabled by a partnership with BCNET, the advanced network in British Columbia. To use Cybera’s transit exchange service, a connection to CyberaNet, the advanced network operated by Cybera, or to the Alberta SuperNet, is required.
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Media contact:
Jana Makar
Director of Communications
Cybera
jana.makar@cybera.ca
403-210-5271
BACKGROUND
About Cybera
Cybera is a not-for-profit organization that works to spur and support innovation, for the economic benefit of Alberta, through the use of cyberinfrastructure. Cybera collaborates with public and private partners to accelerate research and product development in priority areas such as health, energy, environment, and emerging technologies. Cybera operates CyberaNet, a high-speed high-bandwidth advanced network in Alberta, and provides project management services to WestGrid, a consortium that provides advanced computing in support of research across Canada. For more information, please visit Cybera’s website.
About The Banff Centre
The Banff Centre is Canada’s creative leader in arts and culture. A post-secondary learning institution located in the heart of the Canadian Rockies, The Banff Centre’s mission is Inspiring Creativity. In this powerful mountain setting, exceptional artists and leaders from around the world create and perform new works of art, share skills and knowledge in an interdisciplinary environment, explore ideas, and develop solutions in the arts and leadership.
About CANARIE
CANARIE Inc. is Canada’s Advanced Research and Innovation Network. Established in 1993, CANARIE manages an ultra high-speed network, hundreds of times faster than the internet, which facilitates leading-edge research and big science across Canada and around the world. More than 40,000 researchers at over 300 Canadian universities and colleges use the CANARIE Network, as well as researchers at institutes, hospitals, and government laboratories throughout the country. The CANARIE Network enables researchers to share and analyze massive amounts of data, which can lead to ground-breaking scientific discoveries. CANARIE’s network, programs, and strategic partnerships with 12 regional networks in Canada, and 100 international networks in more than 80 countries, stimulate research that delivers economic, social, and cultural benefits to Canadians. CANARIE is a non-profit corporation supported by membership fees, with major funding of its programs and activities provided by the Government of Canada. For additional information, please visit the CANARIE website.
About the Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX)
The Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX) is an Internet Exchange Point situated in the Westin Building in Seattle, WA, in the United States. SIX is a fast growing, neutral and independent peering point. The SIX was created as a free exchange point sponsored only by donations and continues to run without any re-occurring charges to the participants. As of May 20, 2010, there are 142 routers at the Seattle Internet Exchange (SIX) advertising at least 90,000 unique BGP routes. For more information, please visit the SIX website.
