IBM Opens Advanced Internet Application Center in the Netherlands; New Technologies and Applications Demonstrate the Power of Next Generation Internet

Business Wire, Nov 10, 1999

ZOETERMEER, Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--November 10, 1999--

IBM opened the doors today to the latest center dedicated to the development of Next Generation Internet technologies and applications. The Advanced Internet Applications Center in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands, will enable IBM to create technologies that will help customers in Europe, the Middle East and Africa harness new Internet applications for their own e-business needs.

The Next Generation Internet will have bandwidth 1,000 times faster than today's available bandwidth and will enable a new realm of applications that incorporate video, audio, data and transactions for a more natural, intelligent and trusted medium for e-business. The new Center for Advanced Internet Applications will focus on the European development of advanced applications and related middleware.

This is IBM's second global center focused on collaborative research and the development of Next Generation Internet solutions.

With high-speed networks connecting IBM to universities and companies worldwide, developers and researchers will have a way to collaborate on new high-performance, prototype applications for the Next Generation Internet. Currently, the group at the Advanced Internet Application Center in Zoetermeer is working with IBM's team at the International Center for Advanced Internet Research (iCAIR) in Chicago on applications that allow for search and retrieval of content from digital video, much like today's applications allow for searching on text.

"Building new business models and opportunities could not happen at a more appropriate location -- The Netherlands -- the heart of Europe's cutting-edge R&D activities," said Bert Dekkers, Advanced Internet Center Project Manager for IBM. "The Advanced Internet Applications Center is yet another example of IBM's drive to create Internet-based technologies for today's -- and tomorrow's -- e-businesses."

IBM Demonstrates Next Generation Internet Applications

At today's ribbon cutting ceremony, hosted by the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs, Annemarie Jorritsma, IBM and its partners demonstrated to customers the latest applications for the Next Generation Internet. Examples of prototype applications achieved with enriched bandwidth include:

-- Video portal -- viewing of a live video broadcast over a high speed Internet connection

-- Television on Demand -- enabling a person to watch any television program without waiting for its scheduled appearance

-- Virtual Radiology -- enabling a radiologist to read an x-ray from another continent

-- Synchronous language translation and instant messaging -- enabling a person to send an instant message to a colleague in their native language and have their colleague receive it in their native language

-- e-business through Interactive TV -- enabling businesses to provide value-added services to consumers via interactive television

"With the Next Generation Internet, the dramatic increase of available bandwidth will enable a new realm of media-enriched e-business applications," said John Patrick, Vice President of Internet Technology, IBM. "These future applications will include synchronous language translation, e-meetings, real-time collaboration, and high quality 'jitter free' video which will enable a very natural way for people to engage in education, entertainment and e-commerce."

The Netherlands Is Home To World's Leading Advanced Internet Projects

The Center for Advanced Internet Applications is one of a number of IBM programs underway in The Netherlands focused on the Next Generation Internet. IBM also collaborates extensively with the Dutch government's Gigaport Initiative. With an investment of Dfl.142 million ($71 million) by the Dutch Government, the GigaPort Initiative was created to develop one of the world's most advanced communication networks. This network accelerates the sharing of knowledge between educational institutions, scientific centers and corporate partners in the US, Europe and Asia.

About IBM

IBM is the world's leading provider of information technology products and services and an Internet2 corporate partner. IBM was one of the founding technology partners that helped in the development and deployment of the NSFnet, which served as the Internet's primary backbone from 1987-1995. IBM creates, develops and manufactures the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM is leveraging this experience in helping create technologies and applications for the next generation Internet. For more information about IBM's Next Generation Internet (NGi) projects, please visit http://www.ibm.com/ngi.>

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