ALICE2 Project Summary: Achievements and Impact

1. ALICE2 Summary Report November 2012 Florencio I. Utreras Executive Director of CLARA Florencio.Utreras@redclara.net Conference: ALICE2 Members Meetings Date: November 14, 2012 Place: Cuenca, Ecuador

2. The ALICE2 Project • € 12 Millions budget to be provided by the EC, thru EuropeAid • Co funding of € 6 Millions to be provided by the LA NRENs • December 2008 until August 2012 • Emphasis on • An upgraded long lasting infrastructure, • Sustainabilty, • MDG Oriented applications • Inclusion • Capacity building

3. ALICE2 Partners Argentina Bolivia Brasil Chile Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador El Salvador Guatemala México Panamá Perú Uruguay Venezuela España Francia Italia Portugal DANTE (UK) Cuba Honduras Nicaragua Paraguay

4. Procurement Process • 5 Tenders • 2 Tenders for Telecommunication Services (Leased lines) and Telecommunications Infrastructure (IRUs of dark Fibre) • Tender 1 gave little results • Tender 2 was continued in Negotiated Procedure • 2 Tenders for Telecommunications Equipment • First tender failed for high prices • Second tender was continued on Negotiated Procedure • 1 Tender for Videoconference Equipment

5. Summary of ALICE2 IRUs Awarded • 2.5 Gbps Wavelength between San Salvador and Guatemala (Navega) • 2.5 Gbps Wavelength between Lima and Arica (Chile’s border with Peru) awarded to Telefonica • 10 Gbps Wavelength between Arica and Antofagasta awarded to Telefonica • 600 Mbps “Virtual Wavelength” between Lima and Guayaquil awarded to Internexa • Dark Fiber between Tapachula-Guatemala; San Salvador-Managua-San José-Panamá awarded to UFINET

6. Non ALICE2 IRUs • Dark Fiber shared with Silica between Santiago and Buenos Aires (Sinergy with RNP, InnovaRed and the AugerAccess Project) • Dark Fiber shared with Global Crossing between Buenos Aires and Porto Alegre (provided by RNP) • 2.5 Gbps Optical Wavelength between Santiago and Antofagasta (part of EVALSO Project)

7. Maintenance & Lease Cost Decrease

8. RedCLARA 2008

9. RedCLARA2 Expected at the end of ALICE2

10. ALICE2 Effect on Bandwidth Availability

11. User Communities and Research Projects • A set of research communities (researchers, educators, students) working together in the solution of problems related to the MDG goals and actively participating in ALFA & FP7 calls.

12. Activities • Identification of Priority Areas for Latin America matching FP7 and/or MDG priorities • Sinergies with existing projects and user communities: ALFA, CYTED, ARTCAS, IDB-RPG on RedCLARA Use Cases, etc. • Virtual Information Days on FP7 International Calls • Identification and Support to User Community activities selected through internal calls • Select and Promote Use Cases • Training on Project preparation and management • Development of a Collaboration Portal

13. Directly Supported User Communities • LAGO: Large Aperture Gamma Ray Burst Observatory • MAPA D2: Map and Art Programm in Digital Dance • LACLO: Latin American Community of Learning Objects • CoLaBoRa: Latin American Community on Libraries and Digital Repositories • FLU‐CAP: Programm on Influenza for Central America and Panama • TICenFID: Initial Teachers training • ACHALAI: International Network for the Recovery of Inmaterial Legacy of Musical Traditions • Grid: Scientific and High Performance Computing • ARCU-RED: Community of Art and Culture on the Net • IPOL-LA: Image Processing Online Latin America • CLARISE: Open Latin American Comunity of Regional Social and Educational Research • Latin IDE: Latin American Communtiy of Space Data Infrastructure • CLIC: Latin American Communtiy of Research and Knowledge Construction

14. Distribution by Knowledge Area

15. Additional User Communities • Tsunamis: IDB Supported User Community on Tsunamis and Natural Disasters • Biofuels: IDB Supported User Community on biofuels and other alternative energy sources • Tropical Diseases: IDB Supported User Community on contagious diseases. • ALAIC: Latin American Association of Researchers in Communications. MoU and Portal Training Event. • NanoAndes: Nano Technology User Community of the Andean Refion. Community VideoConf and Portal Training. • RISC: A Network for Supporting the Coordination of Supercomputing Research between Europe and Latin America

16. Use Cases: http://www.redclara.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=143&Itemid=528&lang=en Bio-pharmaceutics Telemedecine LAGO Cosmic Rays

17. Infodays • Information Days implemented jointly with International Cooperation of DG Research and DG INFSO • Half a day interactive information sessions on International Calls of FP7 • 2 in 2009; 3 in 2010; 3 in 2011; 2 in 2012 (so far) • Over 1000 researchers had access to the information on calls and Q&A sessions

18. RedCLARA’s Portal Partner Seartch Funding Database

19. Webconference Developped by MCONF WG 19

20. Training to User Communities • Training on Portal Use to Community leaders • Training on Project preparation and management • e-Learning Courses on preparing proposals for FP7 Projects

21. Technical Working Groups • MCONF: On a web based Videoconference System • IPv6: On IPv6 promotion and deployment • Mobility: On eduroam training and implementation • PIT VoIP: On building LA exchange points for inter-regional IP Telephony • Measurements: On performance measurements and PerfSonar Implementation • MOF: Mobility with OpenFlow • IPTV: On high definition on line TV transmission over the net. • SCIFI: On better management of WiFi access areas • CSIRT: On Computer Security Response Teams

22. To develop and consolidate a Sustainability Model • A strong, well managed, participative and self sustainable organization with a clear Funding Model.

23. Business Plan • 5 Years Marketing and Business Plan based on: • Funding by project partners will concentrate on Maintenance of the Network, Management, Engineering and Operations • User Community Support will be supported through Projects and fund raising carried on by the management • Portal and other Tools will have to become self funded as projects for development end • Investment on network expansion and consolidation will have to be funded through new projects • Partnerships with private companies to develop services will play an important role to increase value to the NRENs

24. New Bylaws and Industrial Partners • The cathegory of Industrial Partner has been created by the new Bylaws approved by RedCLARA in July 2011. • Invitations are being made to include Industrial Partners in several activities not related to the connectivity to the RedCLARA Network • Initial companies invited are TI Companies • Funding obtained is expected to become integral part of the TICAL Strategy

25. The TICAL Conferences

26. TICAL Conferences in Numbers 2011 2012 • Attendees: 96 • Sponsors: 2 • Place: Panama City • Host: REDCYT • Presentations: 15 • Plenary Sessions: Clouds, High Performance Computing and Research Networks • Attendees: 181 • Sponsors: 7 • Place: Lima, Perú • Host: RAAP • Presentations: 45 • Plenary Sessions: Clouds, Visualization, Identity Management, Campus Networks

27. Time control and project follow up is handled by CLARIZEN, a Cloud Project Management Service A revised version of RedCLARA’s Organization Manual including a detailed Job Description for all staff was built Procurement and implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP) including Accounting, Budgeting, Finances, Contract and Assets Management. The solution is installed in RedCLARA’s servers in Sao Paulo. In the implementation process is a Workflow of Processes: including traveling and per diems authorisation, procurement, providers control and project control. The system’s code name is SIGO (Sistema Integrado de Gestión de la Organización) Management Tools and Procedures

28. Joint Work with CEPAL and REGULATEL • “Latin America’s New Dynamic” • Jointly organized with @LIS2 Projects • “Friends of Europe” hired to organize a high level Conference in Brussels • The Session III called “WORKING WITH EUROPE ON RESEARCH AND INNOVATION” has been organized by RedCLARA

29. More Joint Work • Participation of RedCLARA in eLAC Meetings invited by CEPAL • Participation of RedCLARA in Fora of Ministers of S&T as well as Information Society • Participation of RedCLARA in REGULATEL Meetings in LA and Europe • Participation of REGULATEL in TICAL Meeting • Joint Visibility Actions, including the @LIS2 Website

30. Regional Inclusion • A network with wide (ideally full) coverage of Latin America and strongly connected with the Caribbean.

31. Inviting Countries • Costa Rica Signed integration to RedCLARA and ALICE2 in December 2008. • ALICE2 Meetings have been carried on in: • Paraguay in November 2009 • Bolivia in April 2010 • Nicaragua in September 2010 • Honduras in June2011 • Participation in Meetings • Bolivian and Paraguayan NRENs have participated in several of the ALICE2 Meetings • Several meetings and visits with the authorities of Bolivia, Honduras, Nicaragua an Paraguay

32. Current Status • Paraguay • The ARANDU Network is legally established since June 2011 • Preliminary Agreement with COPACO and RNP will allow their connectivity to Sao Paulo • In October 13, the President of paraguay Launched COPACO and committed support • Connectivity of Paraguay is inminent • Bolivia • The construction of the Bolivian NREN is lead by the Council of Presidents of Bolivian Univesities, ADSIB and the ViceMinister of Science and Technology • Negotiations have been carried on with the Telecommunicaions company (ENTEL) to obtain connectivity • Recently the ViceMinister of Science and technology has announced that the network will soon be connected to RedCLARA

33. Cooperation with the Caribbean • CUDI, the Mexican NREN is operating C@ribNet, the Caribbean Network • RedCLARA’s Portal Services will form the core of C@ribNet’s Portal Services. The services will be provided using a Cloud Strategy • The PR Network has included the PR Prson of C@ribNet on a permanent basis • CKLN has become a permanent participant in ALICE2 Meetings

34. Capacity Building • A large community of well trained technicians, managers and research community leaders empowered to collaborate among them and with their European counterparts in order to take advantage of the funding oportunities for joint research projects,

35. Training Mechanisms • Technical training Workshops carried on during the ALICE2 Meetings are F2F (Face to face) courses • Technology Awareness Worshops, carried on during the ALICE2 Meetings to inform technicians on new development by vendors • Technical Courses to Less Developped NRENs to support Inclusion • Management Courses carried on F2F during the ALICE2 Meetings and continued over videoconference • Courses for User Communities • Courses for Technicians and others uing e-Learning Tools • The VoD (Video On demand Portal) containing the training courses recorded during the ALICE2 Meetings (79 videos are online today)

36. Training in Numbers

37. Visibility Actions • To efficiently disseminate the objectives, developments, advances and achievements of ALICE2, the RedCLARA network and CLARA and to help in the construction of an inclusive RedCLARA community

38. Publications • DeCLARA bulletin published quarterly in Spanish, English and Portuguese. • DeCLARA Express bulletin published bi-weekly in Spanish, Portuguese and English since August 08. http://www.redclara.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=629&Itemid=561&lang=es • DeCLARA al Día, On demand publication depending on issues: http://www.redclara.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=630&Itemid=562&lang=es • Updates of RedCLARA promotional material: Banners, RedCLARA brochure, Topology Map, etc. • The NRENs Compendium • Publications are distributed to a total of 3334 persons

39. DeCLARA Bulletin

40. The Publications in Numbers (*) All these publications, with the exception of the White Book and the Brochures are published in English, Portuguese and Spanish

41. Visibility Actions • The RedCLARA Portal is constantly feed with News relevant to Research Networks and Applications • LA NRENs PR Network • Created to collaborate on Visibility actions in all of latin America • Meet regularly through videoconferences and use of e-mail and other tools • Met twice in person during the project • Presentations • RedCLARA has regularly presented at several meetings: • TERENA Networking Conference • European ICT Conferences • ECRI and ICRI Meetings • AfricaConnect Meetings • ASREN Meetings • Internet2 meetings • APAN Meetings

42. Budget Reformulation

43. Final Budget Distribution

44. Budget Execution October 2012

45. Accomplishments • The quality of the new network and its low cost of operation • The number and quality of the identified User Communities • The Operational Sustainability of RedCLARA • The interest of several other Research Networks on RedCLARA Portal • The alliances built to continue the promotion of collaboration in Latin America • The awareness of Regional Organizations on the importance of Research Networks • The Number of trained technicians and managers

46. Weak Points • The Network is not completely composed of IRUs of Dark Fibre (which ensures upgradability), the portion from Chile to Panama and Venezuela is missing. Efforts will have to be made to raise funds to carry on this task. • The Portal is gaining usage very slowly, an effort will be done during the remaining months to promote its good use for collaboration and make it more attractive to the users. • Mechanisms to incentivate collaboration are missing in Latin America and a permanent impact would requiere longer term actions. • Not all LA Countries are yet in the Network, telecommunications costs will make difficult the inclusion of Bolivia and Cuba (despite Bolivia’s recent enthousiasm). • Several LA NRENs are yet too weak and require support to create permanent management and technical teams. • LA Authorities at country level need to be convinced of the importance of Research Networks, lots of work remains to be done here

47. http://alice2.redclara.net