ENGINEERING

Juniper Networks, Ciena, Brocade and Internet2 today announced the Call for Proposals for the 2013 Innovative Application Awards program.  The program will award cash prizes to the best open source end-user applications that make use of OpenFlow-enabled software defined networking (SDN) capabilities of switches and controllers like those found on the Internet2 Network.

Launched in 2012, the new Internet2 Network is the first open, national-scale 100G network that employs SDN and OpenFlow standards. It includes equipment from Juniper Networks, Ciena, and Brocade.

The Innovative Application Awards program is open to individuals or small groups who demonstrate the ability to develop and deploy highly useful and reliable open source software.  It provides grants of up to $10,000 for winning proposals.  Universities may provide additional matching funds.

The desired outcome of the awards program is production-quality software that can operate on Internet2’s Advanced Layer 2 Service and take advantage of the SDN and 100G capabilities of the Internet2 Innovation Platform.  The program complements application development efforts by US Ignite.

“The new Internet2 Network can advance global research collaboration in previously unimaginable ways," said Rob Vietzke, vice president of Network Services, Internet2. “Leveraging our new 100G, SDN-enabled network, we're on the hunt for the most innovative applications that help to accelerate and transform discovery in big data sciences."

Applications must be submitted electronically by June 7, 2013. Read full details of the program and submit proposals.

If contestants have questions, they should email innovation@internet2.edu. They can also follow the contest on Twitter at #innovativeappaward.

U.S. Ignite, Juniper Networks, Ciena and Brocade are Internet2 members.