UW-Madison, along with the state of Wisconsin, will make a major advancement to its digital systems, with a planned $100 million upgrade to the state's computer network. This proposed upgrade would take all the existing information, video and voice databases and incorporate them into one superior network.
\The state is interested in developing the next generation of the network to handle video and other types of content,"" said Brian Rust, spokesperson for the Division of Information Technology.
In the current system, two digital networks provide services throughout Wisconsin, which operate independently. WiscNet serves as a computer network primarily used for state education and government, while BadgerNet is a video conferencing system used in all levels of education from kindergarten to graduate school.
One of the project's main goals is to combine these two systems to remove redundant services and allow for improved collaboration between divisions.
""Having two networks serving different state agencies doesn't seem to be the most cost-effective way to roll things out,"" said Annie Stunden, director of DoIT.
The program is guided by the Wisconsin Educational Network Collaboration Committee, a collection of both state and university individuals. Not only does this group assess the requirements of the new system, but it also makes recommendations as to how the program should proceed.
""They've been working and planning this network for a long time, and their work will be used as we go forward,"" Stunden said.
UW-Madison personnel will also be involved in the program, as WiscNet is a main provider to the campus and the state wishes to make use of the network expertise in the campus system.
""A lot of the services that WiscNet provides are actually housed and provided by the DoIT staff,"" Rust said. ""They're a separate entity, but they obtain some of their services from UW-Madison.""
As with all programs of this magnitude, there is a great deal of work to be done. Preliminary meetings took place Thursday to plan what the network should look like, and both the state and the university officials are doing everything to make sure the plans work for all parties.
""Everything's in kind of a flux right now,"" said David Lois of BadgerNet.
However, while the program remains in its conceptual stages, the plan to bring Madison technology to a new level remains secure.
""We will provide very robust sources, in a unified and collaborative environment,"" Stunden said.
