Networks Racing towards 10Gigabit Ethernet

A university data centre may not seem the place to adopt leading edge technology, given that publicly-funded institutes are chronically short of money. But as Andrew McAusland, associate vice-president of instructional and IT services at Canada's Concordia University points out, universities have unique clients.

Every year some 12,000 new students and their new technology - laptops with faster wireless accessing high-bandwidth social networking applications, for example - demand online satisfaction. Which is why six months ago, McAusland started experimenting with 10 Gigabit Ethernet. Not a wholesale rip and replace, but in select spots-between some servers in the gateway, in places where there are large file transfers.

"We like to take things for a test drive first," he chuckles.

But after several months, here's his verdict: "I am not convinced there is a return on investment for us" for the time being and is not now expanding its use. For the time being, he feels his budget is better spent improving services on the infrastructure he's got.