MCNC, in partnership with the University of North Carolina Office of the President and its 16-campus university system, launched the multi-year, multi- million dollar North Carolina Grid Initiative last fall to add a grid computing infrastructure and resources to its existing North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). The statewide network, operated by MCNC, provides advanced communications services, video services for distance learning, high-speed Internet access, and access to national research networks for public and private universities throughout North Carolina. NCREN is the backbone infrastructure for the North Carolina Grid Initiative and will serve as a reference implementation for commercial use of grid computing for all of NCREN's existing and future partners and customers.

Grid computing is an emerging technology that represents a new way to conduct business and research over the network, providing users with unprecedented computing power, services and information no matter where the resources are located. Multiple computing platforms and data sources on the grid operate, and appear to a user, as a single computing system. Networked resources on the grid are shared for collaboration, efficiency and cost savings.

"North Carolina's Grid Initiative will be a catalyst for economic expansion and business growth," Gentzsch said. "North Carolina has always been a leader in advancing new communications technologies and already has a wealth of existing resources at MCNC and at the state's outstanding universities, making this the ideal place to cultivate the many benefits of grid computing." Gentzsch said that working with MCNC provides him with the opportunity to further develop and deploy emerging grid technologies. "MCNC has an established reputation for its innovative contributions to networking, supercomputing, and grid technologies. North Carolina's state government, the universities and the local industry are already aware of the benefits of grid computing. It is exciting to lead an initiative that will not only impact the future of computing but will play such an important role in North Carolina's economic advancement."

As senior director of grid computing for Sun Microsystems since July 2000, Gentzsch was responsible for Sun's grid computing vision, strategy and technology development. Gentzsch joined Sun when it acquired Gridware, a distributed computing software company that he co-founded in 1999. Gridware's technology is the foundation for the Sun Grid Engine, the world's leading distributed resource management software used in over 10,000 departmental and enterprise grids worldwide.

Gentzsch was also a professor of mathematics and computer science at the University of Applied Sciences in Regensburg, Germany, and served as the head of computational fluid dynamics and supercomputing at the German Agency for Aerospace and Aeronautics. Throughout his career, industry leaders including IBM, Cray Computers and Digital Equipment Corporation have sought his consulting skills on distributed computing and supercomputing projects.

"Dr. Gentzsch is the visionary who North Carolina needs to accomplish its most ambitious computing initiative in history," said Dave Rizzo, MCNC's chief executive officer and president. "Grid technology will enhance innovation at North Carolina universities and be a catalyst for entrepreneurial activity throughout the state, and it will create a competitive advantage for North Carolina's existing companies. Dr. Gentzsch's expertise and track record for deploying emerging technologies positions North Carolina to be a leader in grid technology development for the benefit of the state's universities and businesses, and to enhance the lives of North Carolina residents."

MCNC and North Carolina universities demonstrated national leadership in deploying computing grids when it launched the North Carolina BioGrid in 2001 - one of the nation's first grid test beds for life sciences research. In 2003, MCNC committed $6 million toward the deployment of a statewide grid infrastructure.

"As a partner in development of the North Carolina BioGrid, IBM has long recognized the role of grid computing in tackling the most challenging technology issues facing existing and emerging industries," said Barry Eveland, senior state executive for IBM and chairman of North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, which serves as the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce. "The North Carolina Grid Initiative will provide a significant competitive advantage for the university system and for the major industries in the state that are operating in the global economy."

"MCNC's efforts in grid computing represent an exciting opportunity for North Carolina and for Cisco Systems," said Wayne Clark, Cisco Systems' networking service architect. "Dr. Gentzsch is a recognized leader in grid computing. His leadership at MCNC will put North Carolina's grid initiatives at the forefront of the global effort to develop and deploy these new technologies in both academic and commercial organizations."