ILLINOIS CENTURY NETWORK 99.95% RELIABLE

Dear Editor:

In the January 6, 2002 front-page article, "State's use of technology ranks No. 1," it is mentioned that the Illinois Century Network provides Internet services to more than 5,000 schools, universities, local governments, and other bodies. The article comments that the "degree of consolidation is not without its snags" and offers an excerpt from a UIS senior that implies the network is potentially not as reliable as it should be as a result of the consolidation or size of the network. This conclusion is not accurate.

Why, with 5,600 connections to date, is the Illinois Century Network the largest and most successful education network in the nation? The unparalleled support provided by Governor Ryan, the Legislature, the Department of Central Management Services, and the education boards has made the network's success possible and the direct beneficiaries are Illinois students. The reliability of the network over the last year was an incredible 99.95%, which means that individual portions of the network across the state were down for no more than four hours and thirty-eight minutes for the entire year. However, the link to the University of Illinois campuses has been 100% operational without a single unplanned interruption in service. A service not being available on a campus or between campuses usually has nothing to do with the state's network but rather the local area networks on the campuses. Teaching one graduate class at UIS, I have found that the on campus network is also very reliable.

The staff of the Illinois Century Network was not asked to comment for this article but I would be pleased to provide further information should the S-JR wish to learn more regarding the operation and reliability of the network. It may also be advisable to contact the parties responsible for network operations at schools, colleges, and universities rather than one student.

Best regards,

H. Neil Matkin
Director
Illinois Century Network