Board of Opponents: Last Year's Results of the Research Plan of the CESNET Association Have a World-Class Level

The results achieved last year within the research plan of the CESNET association titled Optical National Research Network and its New Applications have a world-class level. Important aspects include the considerable application impact of these results for research teams dealing in the Czech Republic with research in other areas, utilizing the high-speed network for communication and cooperation. This conclusion has been made by the board of opponents, which evaluated the results of the research plan implementation in the last calendar year within the regular opposition procedure required by the Ministry of Youth, Education and Sports of the Czech Republic, provider of the institutional support. The basic material for the opposition procedure, taking place on 5 February 2007 in Prague, was the regular annual research plan implementation report (in Czech). Starting back in 2004, the research plan is scheduled for completion in 2010.

According to the board of opponents, comprising top experts from the area of information and communications technologies, the research plan in 2006 was implemented with a very high professional level. Resources spent on the implementation match the results obtained and their consumption was – according to the board of opponents – effective.

The board of opponents stated that the objectives defined for 2006 have been met, with the exception of the OSCP (Online Certificate Status Protocol) service deployment. Concerning this objective, the technical solution for the CESNET2 network environment has been designed, tested and made ready. However, due to continuity with other European national research and education networks, the researchers have decided not to launch the service until the first half of 2007.

The board of opponents appreciated the fact that the research plan implementation team participates in relevant international projects in the given area, in particular the GN2 and EGEE II projects. In addition, representatives of the CESNET association – Ing. Jan Gruntorád, CSc., and Doc. RNDr. Luděk Matyska, CSc. – are members of the management committees of these projects, which clearly indicates the level of the implementation team and its recognition abroad.

For the upcoming period, the board of opponents recommended that the implementation team continue transferring the results of various activities into practice, as in the successful case of the CLA optical amplifier, protecting these results with utility models and patents.

The research plan Optical National Research Network and its New Applications is a successor of the research plan High-Speed National Research Network and its New Applications, implemented by the association in 1999–2003. The results of this original plan were successfully defended at the beginning of 2004. The current research plan utilizes the results obtained previously. The objective of the research plan is to develop and gradually convert the CESNET2 network into an integrated information and communication environment. The research plan includes work in the area of optical and IP networks, computing and access grids, mobility, multimedia services, or the end-to-end performance issues. The research plan expects the participation of the CESNET association in key international projects. Emphasis is put on the involvement in the project of the most powerful European infrastructure, GN2, representing a follow-up of the GÉANT project within the 6th EU Framework Program.

The CESNET association was founded by universities and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The association is currently financed mainly from the resources of the governmental Committee for Research and Education and the resources of the members of the association. The association performs research and development in the area of information and communication technologies, building and developing the national gigabit optical network, CESNET2, designed for research and educational purposes. With its research activities and accomplishments, the CESNET association can represent the Czech Republic in the European GN2 project as well as other international projects.