Newsletter
Posted on 30/06/2010
BELNET saves the EURO-IX conference thanks to E-collaboration
June 2010
BELNET News
- New BNIX platform in production
- Optical ring in Brussels is expanded
- What do you think of BELNET?
- BELNET Networking Conference on 19th of November 2010
- BELNET saves the Euro-IX conference thanks to E-collaboration
Agenda 2010
New BNIX platform in production
The past months we have put hard work in putting the brand-new BNIX platform into production. Not an easy task, considering the major importance of the BNIX IP exchange platform to Belgian Internet traffic.
Migrations of BNIX participants to the new platform were carried out gradually. For this purpose, the 'old' existing Cisco platform was physically linked with two brand-new Force 10 switches. The new BNIX network consists of two very powerful and fully redundant switches, each with a capacity of 3.5 terabits per second, nearly five times the previous one.
Together with the official launch of the new network, the new BNIX logo and website will be also introduced. We will inform you about the launch on www.belnet.be.
Optical ring in Brussels is expanded
BELNET has been managing its own optical infrastructure – approximately 1600 km of optic fiber – since April 2008. This optical network consists of four rings, with the smallest ring (the one in Brussels) running through the following PoPs: BRUCAM (VUB-ULB), BRUSCI (BELNET offices), BRUVIL (Belgacom data centre) and BRUEVE (Level3 data centre).
Since the Wetenschapsstraat PoP (BRUSCI) has been fully dismantled, BELNET has proactively provided two extra connections around Brussels. Thus, starting July 2010, the optical ring will include two extra data centres: InterXion (Zaventem) and LCL (Diegem). Both are professional, operator-independent data centers where BELNET will locate PoPs over time.
With the expansion of the optical ring, the optical node in the BRUSCI PoP will be taken out of production.
What do you think of BELNET?
The results of our customer satisfaction survey
As was the case at the end of 2008, at the beginning of 2010 BELNET – together with independent research firm D-Sense – conducted a survey among its customers to assess their satisfaction. The survey extended from 19 January through 12 March.
Another nice score
This year we again received considerable feedback and many suggestions. Your answers provided a perfect basis for us to continue to improve our services and fully adapt them to your needs.
In the meantime, the BELNET team has scrutinised the survey results. They indicate that our customers continue to be very satisfied with the services of BELNET. Many of our respondents also indicated that they often recommend BELNET to third parties.
We are continuing to improve our services
Of course, there were a number of points in need of improvement. Again this year, we intend to initiate campaigns around these points, about which you will be hearing more in the coming months. These action items will soon be further explained in a personal mail.
We commit ourselves – as was the case with the preceding survey – to converting each action item into concrete deeds, so that we can continue to ensure the quality of our collaboration.
If you would like more details on the survey, we would be happy to discuss the matter with you. You can expect the usual feedback soon on the progress we are making on the defined action items.
The BELNET team again thanks you for your collaboration.
BELNET Networking Conference on 19 November 2010
Mark following event your calendar: on Friday the 19th November 2010, the 8th BELNET Networking Conference will take place in the Brussels Hotel Plaza. As is the annual custom, this user conference provides you with a forum for the latest developments in network technology and related applications and services for research, education and government.
This year at the BELNET Networking Conference, we will be presenting even more visions on and trends in ICT management in higher education and research. Of course, innovations in BELNET services will also be addressed. As was the case in the previous editions, we are offering a number of our member institutions a platform to share their acquired expertise with other users of the research network. Do you have an idea or proposal for a presentation? Let us know before 15 September 2010 at customer [at] belnet [dot] be.
Photos and the programme from last year can be seen at http://bnc.belnet.be. More information on this year’s programme and registration will follow.
BELNET saves the EURO-IX conference thanks to E-collaboration
When BELNET hosted the 2010 Euro-IX Conference in Brussels April 18-20, little did we know what Mother Nature had in store. Although about half of the international participants arrived successfully in Brussels, the other half were unable to follow because of the ash cloud of Iceland’s Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption and closed airports throughout Europe.
On Friday, BELNET decided to stream the conference so that everybody who wasn’t able to arrive in time could follow the conference. Even though some speakers never worked with this tool before, they presented from home without any problem.
Our participants and speakers were impressed as well with both the sound and video quality, and the desk-sharing options that proved to be rather advantageous. Thanks to E-collaboration, we saved our conference that was severely affected by this unprecedented event.