MOREnet Provides Internet2 Network Connection for MCEC National Conference in Kansas City

The Missouri Research and Education Network (MOREnet) partnered with the Military Child Education Coalition (MCEC) to provide access to the Internet2 Network for a videoconference address to attendees at its national conference in Kansas City on Thursday, July 12. The Internet2 Network connection enabled super high quality video and audio to be delivered to the attendees at the Westin Crown Center from the speaker, Dr. Martin Seligman, live from the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Seligman addressed the Thursday general session at the MCEC conference via videoconference to share his message about positive psychology. Dr. Larry Moehnke, Chief of Staff for MCEC, says this message is very important for their audience to hear. The address reached approximately 700 people, a group comprised of military families and educators dedicated to the transition and education issues of military and mobile children.

The videoconference was connected to the Internet2 Network so that the quality of the conference could be maintained on both ends. "The University of Pennsylvania, where the video will originate, has an Internet2 Network connection, so we needed one on this end to ensure the quality of service for such an important address," explained John Korba of Azbell Electronics, who is managing the videoconference for MCEC. "For the speaker and the slides, we need a lot of bandwidth and we can't afford to have any drops."

To enable the Internet2 Network connection in Kansas City, MCEC turned to MOREnet. "MOREnet provides access to Internet2 for our members, so it was a natural to extend the connection at UMKC to the Westin to enable this videoconference for MCEC," said Bill Giddings, Director of Education and Library Programs at MOREnet. "We're proud to help the conference deliver such an important address to their attendees, even from so far away."

For more information about the connection to Internet2, please contact Megan Gill at gillm@more.net or (573) 882-0054. To find out more about MCEC and their annual conference, please visit www.militarychild.org.

About MOREnet

MOREnet links Missouri to a world of knowledge through a statewide research and education network. Schools, public libraries, academic institutions and state agencies linked to the network have access to a secure broadband Internet connection, staff training, technical support and electronic resources, making equitable access possible across Missouri.