Caribbean academics and researchers are now able to be part of a network of worldwide collaborators with access to collaboration tools, as well as a means to application-sharing over the next 24 months as a European Commission supported project called MAGIC has begun. The Middleware for collaborative Applications and Global virtual Communities (MAGIC) Project intends to create cloud services, including various protocols and software, to enable users to access and use these services in a cloud environment (anywhere, anytime)
Coordinated by RedCLARA, the Association of Latin American Research and Education Networks, (RENs), the general objective of the MAGIC Project is to establish a set of agreements for Europe and other participating World Regions, to consolidate and complete the foundations of middleware necessary for the establishment of a marketplace of services and real-time applications for international and inter-continental research groups. These services will be piloted in an NREN (national research and education network) environment and will facilitate the mobility and the work of global science communities.
The work planned under the MAGIC project includes Management, Platforms for Mobility, Cloud Provisioning and Groupware Standards, Agreements for Real-Time Collab oration, Global Science Communities, Dissemination and Training.
Collaboration
With RedCLARA at the helm, the global partners include the Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association and NRENs from Colombia, Brazil, Greece, France, Australia, East and Southern Africa, West and Central Africa, the Caribbean, the Netherlands, Ecuador, the Arab States, Central Asia, Chile and Mexico, with North American NRENs expected in the coming months.
CKLN Enables Caribbean Inclusion in MAGIC
CKLN is the Caribbean's research and education network (REN) partner in the implementation of the MAGIC project, and is part of the global MAGIC team. As such, CKLN is involved in planning meetings, reviewing documents and will assist with the implementation of various elements in the pilot, always in collaboration with other partner RENs around the globe.
Researchers and communities in the Caribbean can therefore be assured that CKLN provides the requisite skills and complies with all the related protocols to participate in this global community It therefore benefits institutions to become part of their own national or regional research and education community. (see Caribbean NRENs and their contacts).
MAGIC is probably the first really global collaboration project in the advanced networks environment, and which simultaneously will contribute to leveling the playing field between the developing RENs and the more advanced global RENs. For the Caribbean, MAGIC creates a great opportunity for Regional researchers to connect with their global counterparts and communities under the same project, with the possibility of also connecting with other projects associated with the European Commission Horizon 2020 Programmes (H2020).
MAGIC Impacts
Among the expected impacts of the project is the inclusion and the collaboration of NRENs and Regional Networks from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Latin America who will all be collaborating on the development of agreements, human capacities and establishing a network of collaborators. This will foster the deployment of basic infrastructure needed for secure, authenticated access to collaboration tools, as well as a means to application-sharing across the NREN world.
Additionally, with the extensive training carried out at regional meetings, followed up with training material on an e-learning platform, the project will create the basis for a positioning of eduroam and eduGAIN in each region involved in the project.
CKLN along with many other representatives of global NRENs will be in Paris on June 11 for the MAGIC kick-off . Ongoing information about the project and the Caribbean involvement will be shared over the coming months.
For more information on the MAGIC project, see the website at MAGIC.
