Massachusetts
Telecommunications
Symposium
Broadband Success
A Worcester Story
Thomas J. Lynch III, Ph.D.
Vice President for Information Technology
and CIO
Paul Keleher
Consultant
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
tlynch@wpi.edu keleher@wpi.edu
July 26, 2004
http://www.wpi.edu/+IT
Background

WPI developed a model for regional high performance
research and education networks.

Higher bandwidth at lower costs


07/26/04
Page - 2
Internet1 and Internet2

A peering network among members

Access to regional/national research and education
networks

Opportunities for managing data storage
Today, the network is operational and connects Worcester
colleges and 70% of Mass K-12s
Network Model Evolution

“Fiber-centric” network ring approach not feasible



Build your own network
Have control



Affinity groups
Use existing infrastructure
Vendors as partners
Peering networks
U
SEGP
I1&I2
Page - 3
CP
U
New approach emerged

07/26/04
SEGP
K12
I1&I2
CP
K12
Goddard Collaborative
Colleges & Universities
 Assumption
College
07/26/04
Page - 4
Educational Networks

JASON Foundation for Education

MEC Technology Systems (MECnet)

Becker College

Babson College

Clark University

College of the Holy Cross

Mass Academy of Mathematics and Science

Mass College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences

Shrewsbury Public Schools

Mount Ida College

Worcester Academy

Olin College

Worcester Vocational High School

University of Massachusetts Medical School

Wheaton College

Worcester State College

Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Towns

2004: 22 Members
Town of Needham, MA
K-12 Schools
Museums & Other
Educational Institutions
 American Antiquarian
Society

EcoTarium

Higgins Armory Museum
Why are we working together?
To build technological infrastructure and
share knowledge and resources
07/26/04
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
Internet2 Connectivity

Collaboration Opportunities

Expanding Community Outreach

Administrative Cooperation

Academic Cooperation

Leveraging Purchasing Opportunities

Leverage Resources through Partnerships
Network Architecture
Commodity
Internet
Providers
Education Internet2
Other
&
Regional
Networks
Network Core
Cable
Companies
NoX
Colleges & Universities
07/26/04
Page - 7
MEC
Mass K-12
Future
Education
Networks
Education
Content
Providers

Local Peering Network (significant cost
reductions for On-Net “local” traffic)

Shared access to regional and national networks

Aggregation of demand reduces costs

A Collaborative Community
Education/Research Benefits
07/26/04
Page - 8

Colleges and content providers (Museum of
Science, for example) are collaborating to provide
educational programs over this network to the
70% of Mass K-12 schools now connected

WPI, U Mass Medical School, and Memorial
Hospital are using the high bandwidth to enable
multi-site research today

Collaborative efforts have already resulted in
several significant state and federal grants
Massachusetts
Telecommunications
Symposium
A strategic framework for the
medical industry
Gateway Medical
Network
Expanding the Network

The basic network model and architecture both
lend themselves to expansion with minimal capital
investment

Other industries have similar communities of
interest and data needs


07/26/04
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In particular—the medical industry
Hospitals, physicians’ offices and medical service
providers can easily be connected and improve
performance and cost effectiveness
Medical
Overlay




Hospitals, regional health centers
Physicians’ offices, medical service providers
Research collaboration with colleges and universities
Local government: police, fire, EMT
Gateway
Research Park
Community
Police, Fire,
EMT
Hospitals
Physician
Offices
Medical Industry
Service Providers
High Performance
Computing Resources
Commodity
Internet
Providers
Medical
Education Internet2
Other
&
Regional
Networks
Network Core
Cable
Companies
NoX
Education
Content
Providers
Colleges & Universities
MEC
Mass K-12
07/26/04
Page - 11
Regional
Health
Centers
Future
Education
Networks
Medical Overlay
Worc Area
Physicians
at home
Worc Area
Medical
Offfices
…the pathways
Higgins
Armory
Holy Cross
350
Mass K-12
American
Antiquarian
Society
Clark
Charter
City of
Worcester
Police, Fire
EMTs
Worcester
Academy
MEC
gig-E
Connection
Assumption
WPI
U Mass
Memorial
Area
Police, Fire
EMTs
Central
Mass
Hospitals
Mass
Physicians
Comcast
Juniper Router - Goddard
Juniper Router - IntelliSpace
Goddard GigaPoP
Goddard Collaborative
NoX
&
Internet2
OSHEAN
Commodity
Internet
via
IntelliSpace
Worcester
State
Babson
07/26/04
Page - 12
Fallon
Clinic
Olin
Tufts
UMassMed
Jason
Wheaton
Museum of
Science
Tufts Medical Center
Tufts Medical School
Joslin Diabetes Center
Boston University Hospital
Harvard School of Dental Medicine
New England Baptist Hospital
Mt. Auburn Hospital
Deaconess Hospitals
Harvard Medical School
Harvard School of Public Health
Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary
Children's Hospital
Center for Blood Research
Hasbro Children's Hospital
Bradley Hospital
Rhode Island Hospital
Judge Baker Children's Center
Partners Health Care
Mass General Hospital
Brigham & Women's Hospital
Dana Farber Cancer Institute
New England Medical Center
Maine Medical Center
Research Institute
UConn Medical Center
Yale Medical Center
Dartmouth Hitchcock Med Ctr
Caregroup Health Services
Beth Israel Deaconess
UVM Medical College
Newport Hospital
The Miriam Hospital
Medical Community Benefits
07/26/04
Page - 13

Big bandwidth and cost savings

Enhanced network performance for
production needs (high bandwidth file
transfer)

Improved collaborative opportunities
among universities, medical community
and government to improve healthcare

Connect Worcester medical community
to Boston and the nation’s research and
medical networks
Future Opportunities

Data Storage

Patient health information is a critical
component of plans to improve healthcare

The Gateway Medical Network may provide
opportunities for shared data storage for
hospitals and physicians

07/26/04
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
Data transport

Secure, shared data storage space
Collaboration enables everyone to participate
Future Opportunities

Distance Learning


07/26/04
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Requirements to implement Distance Learning
are capital and cost intensive

Content providers

Academic technology experts

Hardware/software

Bandwidth
Collaboration can solve the problem
Future Opportunities
A distance learning solution through collaboration?
Content Providers
Hospitals
Academic
Technology Experts
Hardware/Software
WPI
Bandwidth
Gateway Medical
Network
WPI
Can this provide a revenue stream?
07/26/04
Page - 16
Further Expansion
Biotech Industry
Service Providers
…more overlays
Biotech
Incubators
Bioengineering
Institute
Biotech
Companies
Biotech

Biotech industry,
with strong ties to
the medical and
education
industries, can
easily be added to
the network
Community
Police, Fire,
EMT
Hospitals
Physician
Offices
Medical Industry
Service Providers
High Performance
Computing Resources
Medical
Gateway
Research Park
Commodity
Internet
Providers
Education Internet2
Other
&
Regional
Networks
Network Core
Cable
Companies
NoX
Education
Content
Providers
Colleges & Universities
MEC
Mass K-12
07/26/04
Page - 17
Regional
Health
Centers
Future
Education
Networks
Regional Competitiveness

Mass Department of Business and Technology
has identified six “IMPERATIVES” that are
required to improve the region’s competitiveness.

The WPI network model directly or indirectly
impacts five of these Imperatives in the Central
region

07/26/04
Page - 18
The overlay approach can be used to add
other industries to the network, for example,
Biotech
Imperatives Directly Impacted
Improve business climate to support all
industry clusters
Support entrepreneurship and innovation
Prepare the workforce of the 21st Century
Build the Information Infrastructure of the
21st Century
Ensure economic growth is compatible
with the community and environment
Improve the outcomes of government
action
07/26/04
Page - 20
Bioengineering Institute
“Applications in medical technology that encompass bioinformatics
and medical informatics are important, but there is so much more.
Imaging technologies will require high bandwidth to transmit data
between sites (there are already companies formed that receive
images from hospitals and apply proprietary image interpretation
software to generate a more clinically useful image).
Computational flow dynamics will be used to predict fluid flow
behaviors in a number of human physiological systems; collaboration
among institutions in medical technology development will be critical
to research success.
For all of these reasons, our new building, and Gateway Research
Park, will host the Gateway Medical Network.”
Timothy R. Gerrity, Ph.D.
Director
WPI Bioengineering Institute
07/26/04
Page - 21
SAFE Health Info
“The health care system today is in a crisis of fragmentation.
Our efforts to develop and implement new technology to connect a
disparate health care system will ensure that physicians can quickly
access clinical information in order to safely treat patients.
This partnership tackles an important patient safety issue and speaks
volumes to the level of creativity and collaboration that exists here in
central Massachusetts.”
Mark Fisher
Chief Operating Officer
Fallon Community Health Plan
07/26/04
Page - 22
Summary


07/26/04
Page - 23
The network is:

Operational today—it works!

The model can be applied to other affinity or
functional interest groups
This network model can become a critical factor in
the infrastructure required to improve the Central
Mass Region’s competitiveness