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New Network Access Strategy document published. |
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NETWORK ACCESS
The remit of network access is to extend the edge of the network into learning and social spaces outside the campus, and to foster mobility within and between networked environments. The ultimate goal of these efforts is to deliver JANET content and resources to the user whenever and wherever required.
New classes of ‘last mile’ connectivity for smaller learning venues will fill a gap in the existing portfolio of JANET services and close the so-called ‘digital divide’ between the campus and the community. These connectivity techniques may also serve an infrastructure-supporting role as diverse resilient links or form part of disaster recovery planning.
More than connectivity
Network access is not just new connectivity. It is aimed at developing the complete user experience of connectivity at the edge:
- user-transparent networking provision for roaming;
- small form-factor mobile device support;
- simplified identity management, access control and security in both the static and roaming contexts;
- enriched, context-aware content delivery;
- mobile publication of streaming media resources to fixed infrastructure;
- transient association to create temporary resources.
Democratic access
Equality of access must be addressed by network access techniques: members of the educational community should not be disadvantaged through their circumstances (e.g. rural communities, private accommodation vs halls of residence, expensive hardware). Network access will therefore focus on open standards in hardware-agnostic, widely-applicable solutions.
The educational user is also increasingly mobile: resources and courses may be shared across multiple sites, collaborations and virtual organisations are prevalent, and life-long learners may find themselves members of a number of disparate educational organisations across their career. In view of this, network access will seek to foster consistent and intuitive user interfaces to any services it promotes, reducing the learning barrier of access to network resources at a new location.
Breadth with depth
Network access is a multidisciplinary area, affecting the majority of activities within the development programme. It will encompass new connectivity technologies, particularly in the wireless arena, and the deployment of protocols and techniques that extend existing infrastructure's access capabilities. It will depend upon identity and security management techniques for roaming users and mobile devices. Its adoption will shape aspects of organisational policy and user support provision.
Given this breadth, the Network Access programme will be a highly collaborative endeavor dependant upon the support of a wide subset of the community. It will also have to track new technologies in many fields in order to identify opportunities to advance the access agenda.
Images courtesy of wikimedia commons.
Contact details
If you would like further information about the JANET Network Access Area or have any comments then please contact Mark O'Leary.
JANET(UK) has established a programme to explore the market and where appropriate trial available and emerging technologies. See the JANET Network Access Development Area for details of JANET(UK)'s work in this region. A document that outlines JANET(UK)'s approach to the JANET Network Access Development Area is available.