UNM and the entire state of New Mexico will soon be on the cutting edge of computer technology if one group of University staff members has its way.
Bill Adkins, director of Computer and Information Resources and Technology, said the University is looking to take advantage of the collapse of the telecommunications industry two years ago by purchasing a stockpile of reduced-price fiber optics cable.
UNM would use that fiber optic cable to link the state to one network to collaborate on research, Adkins said.
That network could then become part of the National LambdaRail System, a fiber optic system linking the entire country and at least 12 research universities like UNM.
Adkins said the University would like to join the portion of LambdaRail that links Denver to El Paso.
According to the LambdaRail Web site, joining the consortium will allow UNM researchers across the country to share huge amounts of data and video images and help the University compete for major grant programs to finance future endeavors.
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"This is a chance for UNM and the entire state to increase its research opportunities and its economic development," Adkins said.
He said New Mexico is a state that could especially benefit from joining LambdaRail because of the many research institutions, including New Mexico Tech, New Mexico State and Los Alamos National Laboratories, which are constantly collaborating on research projects.
UNM is also looking to build a central data station in Downtown Albuquerque to serve as a connection point for participating research institutions from across the state.
The total project cost is $30 million, portions of which the University wants to fund through grants and state funds.
Adkins said the University has plans to lobby at the state Legislature this month for several thousand dollars and is eyeing grants from the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health.
"It's important for New Mexico to stay competitive technologically," he said. "This is something that could benefit us for years to come."
Tom West, chief executive officer for LambdaRail, said the system is designed to meet the growing needs of the research and education community across the country.
West said New Mexico could benefit greatly from participating in the system because of the large number of research projects being conducted in the state at any given time. He said institutions such as UNM that rely on collaborations with fellow researchers from across the country and world are the target audience for LambdaRail.
"It's a growing system that is designed to make everyone's life easier and their final product better," West said.
