The "Wide" Program at Keio U.

Back to Contents of Issue: July 2000

With the exception of the work of professor Jun Murai, the "Internet samurai" who heads the Widely Integrated Distributed Environments (WIDE) Project at Keio University's Shonan Fujisawa Campus, most Internet-savvy persons are hard pressed to think of examples of discoveries originating in Japanese universities that have become widely used in the Internet or related businesses. Following is the stated goal of WIDE, a few of its projects, and some of its working groups (source: the 10th Anniversary Symposium CD; see also http://www.wide.ad.jp):

Goal:
To realize the vast potential for computer and communications technologies to benefit people and society, and to integrate and synergize the technologies to meet this goal. To create the ideal next-generation computer communications environment, WIDE aims at facilitating open and productive communication among researchers.

SELECTED WIDE PROJECTS

KAME PROJECT: WIDE developed and first installed the next-generation Internet protocol, IPv6. WIDE openly shares its research results with other institutions internationally. Researchers from each participating institution combine their efforts.

NSPIXP:
NSPIXP (Network Service Provider Internet eXchange Point) is designed to research IX, an essential Internet development technology. It extensively quality-checks and troubleshoots over commercial ISPs, utilizing such advanced testing methodologies as NSPIXP-1, NSPIXP-2 and NSPIXP-3.

IAA ("I Am Alive"):
Utilization of the Internet, telephones, and fax to deal with emergency situations.
AI3 (Asian Internet Interconnection Initiatives)
Working to establish a satellite Net link for Asia (see www.ai3.wide.ad.jp).
INTERNET CAR:
Working on the development of mobile computing and communications environments with "anywhere, anytime" wireless access to virtually any network in the world, combining wireless Internet, global positioning, and security technologies.

SELECTED WIDE WORKING GROUPS

IEEE1394
Working on the development of home networks using the "IP over 1394" testbed.

LAST (Label Switching Technology): Establishing "Label Switching Router" technology by developing and operating the next-generation WIDE backbone.

MC (Multicast): Establishing practical applications for "MBone" technology.

Mobile Security (mobsec): Working on firewalls for the mobile Net environment.

WISH (or "WIDE Internet with Satellite Harmonization"): Working on UDLR via satellite.

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