15 Research and education networks:
A global leader in connecting the world
It all started in 1998, at the dawn of the internet age, when IU joined forces with Internet2 to build a research and education networking community that would protect and support collaboration and discovery.
Today, IU Networks and its three divisions—the Global Network Operations Center, I-Light, and International Networks—are at the forefront of network operations and initiatives, propelling research and fostering collaboration for scientists and scholars throughout Indiana, the United States, and around the globe.
Our reputation as the leader in R&E networks translates into income for the university, with IU Networks bringing in about $18 million in external contracts and funded research grants each year.
The Global Network Operations Center, or GlobalNOC, supports some of the world’s most powerful computer networks vital to the Indiana economy and to researchers here and around the world.
For example, GlobalNOC supports networks connecting all but one of Indiana’s universities and colleges, facilitates collaboration between doctors in China and the U.S., moves massive physics data from the Large Hadron Collider in Europe to researchers in the U.S., and models severe weather to predict dangerous conditions in collaboration with NOAA. It is also home to Internet2’s network operations center.
The GlobalNOC is a true Indiana success story, bringing in people, jobs, and millions of dollars in research funding. Since 1998, it has grown from three to nearly 130 highly skilled, full-time employees, many of whom were recruited to Indiana from outside the state. In addition, the GlobalNOC attracts new IU faculty who study network performance, win federal research grants, and attract highly talented students.
In a 10-year span, from 2017 to 2027, the GlobalNOC is projected to bring in more than $200 million and create at least 30 new high-tech jobs at IU.
I-Light is the high-speed, fiber optic network that connects all but one Indiana public university and private college. Managed by IU’s GlobalNOC, I-Light connects members to state, national, and international research and education communities, enabling collaboration and discovery to benefit us all. It is made possible by a unique collaboration among Indiana colleges and universities, state government, and private sector broadband providers.
Membership has its benefits. I-Light enables a variety of capabilities such as the secure exchange of large data files, access to supercomputers and scientific data storage facilities, multi-campus collaborative research projects, and much more.
International Networks at Indiana University (IN@IU) delivers network connectivity that fosters the scientific collaboration that drives research and education in every corner of the world.
In fact, networks managed and operated from Indiana reach 91 percent of the world’s countries, furthering important discoveries in a range of fields including astronomy, bioinformatics, climate science, and medicine.
From niche projects to large-scale research efforts, IN@IU uses high-performance networking as a tool to advance scientific diplomacy.