Monday, October 28, 2002

CONTACT: Stephanie Stempinski, (706) 227-5445, stepski@uga.edu; Cathi Lane, (818) 676-2364, Cathi.Lane@spirentcom.com

CENTAUR LAB OPENS AT UGA OCTOBER 30
Collaboration with Spirent Communications to Help Shape Next-Generation Internet

ATHENS, Ga. — Enterprise Information Technology Services at the University of Georgia and the University of Georgia Research Foundation are collaborating with Spirent Communications™ to provide an advanced testing facility and staging area for deploying new networking technologies. The new CENTAUR Lab officially opens Oct. 30.

The Collaboration for Excellence in Network Testing, Analysis and Unique Research (CENTAUR) Lab tests next-generation network equipment and provides an opportunity for UGA technology students to obtain hands-on training and exposure to the most advanced and promising next-generation networking technologies. The CENTAUR Labs project is a public/private partnership intended to bring students and faculty together with innovative commercial technology organizations to advance the state of the art.

The 6,000 square-foot lab, located on the third floor of the Bank of America building in downtown Athens, includes two independent areas for performance, conformance, certification and Alpha/Beta testing of next-generation network equipment. The lab also can consult with all levels of business organizations on network design, onsite product performance testing, onsite network performance testing, security testing and troubleshooting.

"It’s very satisfying to see a two-year-old dream come to fruition," said Kirk Bertram, chief information officer and associate provost at UGA. "I’ve wanted to find ways for the university and the Athens community to become ‘players’ in the information technology arena. The CENTAUR Lab, through the influx of state-of-the-art networking technology by Spirent, will play a key role in this transformation.

"In addition to serving students, faculty and staff, I hope that this lab will serve as a beacon for other technology-based enterprises, proving that there really is a technology corridor that stretches from Atlanta to Athens," continued Bertram.

The CENTAUR Lab at UGA is the second of a select group of labs around the world; the first lab was established at the University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill and has conducted some of the most advanced testing of the next-generation Internet protocol (IPV6).

"Spirent has made considerable investments to support industry testing activities in universities, consortia, publications, as well as leading independent test labs around the world," said Neil Anderson, senior director of Spirent’s Advanced Test Programs. "We believe it is of great strategic value to fuel the creative energy of a community like the one here at UGA."

Spirent Communications is a worldwide provider of integrated performance analysis and service assurance systems for next-generation network technologies. For more information, visit www.spirent.com and www.uga.edu/centaur.

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