INDUSTRY

IBM today announced the introduction of an initiative to stimulate economic growth in cities and communities throughout the United States and the world through the use of Grid computing and other open standard technologies, such as Linux. The Economic Development Grid initiative is part of IBM’s government development focus area and will allow state and local governments, higher education establishments, and local businesses to share information by leveraging computing power and resources to benefit communities. Information technology is being recognized as a way to help governments drive economic development and also provide cost-effective services to their citizens. Governments are interested in Grid computing, which allows customers to dynamically share information and computer resources, because it provides benefits that are not available with traditional IT infrastructure strategies. Grid computing applications in healthcare, life sciences, software development, digital media, manufacturing and petroleum can all enable economic benefits. The first region to benefit from this ground-breaking initiative is Greater Cleveland. IBM, through its Business Consulting Services unit, has completed work with OneCleveland, a nonprofit organization funded by its subscribers (a group of government, educational, research, healthcare and other non-profit organizations), which provides community-based ultra broadband networking services, to evaluate the potential of using technologies such as Grid computing to support its economic development initiatives. IBM worked with OneCleveland to identify areas of community collaboration that would benefit from a Grid computing infrastructure. This project focuses on educational, governmental, research, arts, cultural and healthcare organizations and culminated in a business case that identified several Grid opportunities that will help drive the region’s commitment to be a true digital community. “We are very pleased with the work IBM has done to help us evaluate the potential of using Grid computing,” said Scot Rourke, president, OneCleveland. “It is an exciting time for us right now. By partnering with IBM and utilizing its expertise in grid computing and their deep domain expertise in our focus areas, we will have the resources necessary to affordably enhance the collaboration among our healthcare, education, research and government organizations. Through our partnership, we will enhance our local economy, bring more jobs and attract new businesses to the region.” Types of Economic Development Projects include: * * * * *Healthcare Collaborative Grid – This collaborative Grid would allow hospitals to share information, ultimately allowing for improved health care for patients through collaboration among medical professionals. * * * * *Public Information Grid – Designed to offer broad community impact by delivering local government information to citizens. It will improve the visibility of government information and services to citizens, while improving customer service at a reduced cost. * * * * *K-12 Outreach Grid – An example of a data-sharing collaborative Grid, this would allow the K-12 educational system to tap into the resources from numerous school systems, as well as universities and content providers to help teachers deliver higher quality and compelling educational programs with the goal of increasing graduation rates. As another example, a High School Outreach Grid would allow universities to attract students, increasing enrollment in local and public universities. * * * * *Higher Education Collaborative Grid – By further enabling distance learning, these collaborative Grids can provide a more effective way for students to learn. They will make education more accessible to students who may not have been able to participate, ultimately providing an increase in attendance in local Ohio universities. Open standards and Grid computing are key components to creating a foundation that allows state and local business to drive enhanced economic development through innovation. IBM is helping communities in the U.S. and globally to expand economic development in innovative ways by embracing Grid computing and open-standards-based technologies. Communities are able to harness their immense unused computational power, increase collaboration between governments, educational and business institutions, to utilize new and existing technologies in innovative ways, by providing access to information, IT resources and computing capabilities previously unavailable. IBM solutions are enhancing the value of small business attraction, shared educational resources, local healthcare services, collaborative research and distance learning programs. "OneCleveland illustrates an innovative use of information technology through a practical approach that governments worldwide can use to deliver greater value for their citizens" said Todd Ramsey, General Manager, IBM Global Government Industry. "This approach could be applied wherever governments wish to formalize and support collaborations among a community of individuals or organizations. The OneCleveland experience is a direct fit in situations such as regional economic development where governments see collaboration as a strategy to generate community value." Better utilization of communities’ limited resources and IT investments will allow communities to remain competitive and accelerate their economic development. Also, collaboration among local and regional organizations can help stimulate local economies by creating new jobs, attracting highly skilled workers and retaining growth companies.