Verizon Business to Enhance New Zealand's International Research and Development Capabilities

University and library researchers in New Zealand will soon be able to collaborate more effectively with their counterparts in the rest of the world. Under a three-year agreement with Research Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ), a New Zealand government-sponsored initiative, Verizon Business will fully manage a high-speed, global network service connecting REANNZ users with their colleagues who use similar research and education networks in North America, Asia, Europe and Australia. Participants in New Zealand include universities, Crown research institutes and the National Library.

The advanced network will directly link Auckland with Sydney and Seattle, providing the dedicated bandwidth needed to share large data files, including still and moving graphics. Verizon Business will monitor the private network round-the-clock to prevent downtime and promote availability.

Dr. Jim Watson, chairman of REANNZ, said that until now, New Zealand has been restricted by the technical performance of regular Internet services. "This has limited the participation of New Zealand organizations in research, development and education activities," he said. "For New Zealand to truly compete internationally in R&D, this network is essential."

The Building Research Capability in the Social Sciences (BRCSS) - which aims to introduce and mentor network researchers in the social sciences and develop the next generation of researchers - is one area of established collaboration that will benefit from the network being built by REANNZ. Professor David Thorns from the University of Canterbury, a leading researcher in the social sciences who has been eagerly awaiting for the project, said he has been frustrated by New Zealand's existing networking arrangements. "The international connectivity that Verizon Business is providing will help us immensely," he said. "It will allow us to construct research documents collaboratively and share sound, still and moving images and data files, of all sizes, across the globe."