APPENDIX 15
Memorandum submitted by Cable and Wireless
Communications
1. INTRODUCTION
OF ORGANISATION
Cable and Wireless Communications (CWC), a British
company, is a licensed telecommunications network operator. The
parent company of CWC is Cable and Wireless plc, also a British
company. Cable and Wireless Communications acquired Anite Networks
in February 1998. Anite Networks was one of the two companies
taking part in an innovation development programme jointly funded
by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Engineering
and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). The other company
in the consortium was NORTEL in Harlow, Essex. The university
partner within the consortium was Queen Mary and Westfield College
of the University of London. The project was entitled ARMAN standing
for ATM (Asynchronous Transmission Mode) Resource Management,
running from March 1995 to July 1998.
2. HOW AND
WHY WE
TOOK PART
IN THE
LINK PROGRAMME
A lecturer from Queen Mary college contacted
our technical director inviting our company to send a representative
to the launching of the LINK programme. We attended the meeting
and found the procedure for applying quite straightforward.
The LINK programme emphasis was on setting up
small consortia (ie about four partners), and on defining project
areas that had potential of generating revenue in benefit of UK
plc. The LINK programme committee and the programme management
set up by the DTI/EPSRC were helpful regarding the completion
of grant application forms, and the highlighting of key issues
relating to the programme objectives.
3. OUR INVOLVEMENT
IN LINK AND
THE ACHIEVEMENT
OF OBJECTIVES
Our involvement in LINK has met our objectives
despite the fact that our company changed hands during the duration
of the project (three and a half years). We were able to carry
out experiments to test out our innovative approach to modelling
network services during the duration of the project.
4. THE IMPACT
OF THE
LINK ARMAN PROJECT WITHIN
CABLE AND
WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS
The success of the ARMAN project has resulted
in the formation of a Data Modelling team within CWC. We have
now started carrying out modelling tasks for the emerging information
super-highway system being commissioned by CWC.
5. BARRIERS REGARDING
GAINING MORE
FROM LINK
The level of financial support from the DTI
was rather small when compared to the current cost of supporting
a researcher within an industrial environment. The ratio of the
cost of reporting on the project to the financial assistance obtained
to pay for technical investigations was rather high.
6. OVERALL ASSESSMENT
OF THE
SCHEME
The scheme was a very effective way of encouraging
industry to get involved in focused advanced technology projects
that did not involve carrying out loose investigations.
16 February 1999
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