Edge, a non-profit research and education network and technology partner based in New Jersey, has joined forces with IEEE to address the data needs of the growing technical community. IEEE, the world’s largest technical professional association advancing technology for humanity, is a global community of more than 400,000 technology and engineering professionals. Together, the two organizations will collaborate to increase awareness about IEEE DataPort™ – a web-based, cloud services platform that academic, government, and not-for-profit institutions can now leverage to efficiently store, share, access, and manage data to accelerate institutional research efforts and innovation.
Initially released in 2016, IEEE DataPort is a universally accessible data research platform that expands the opportunities for analysis, replication, and verification of research findings. IEEE DataPort chairman, Dr. David Belanger, said IEEE is pleased to have the opportunity to work with Edge in bringing IEEE
DataPort to researchers and institutions. “IEEE and Edge both understand the critical need of the research community for replication and extension of data intensive studies, to meet funding agency requirements, and for a secure platform on which to store, manage, and provide accessibility to research data,” added Belanger.
The Edge/IEEE collaboration facilitates global exposure for institutions’ research and provides new avenues for scientific collaboration. This unique platform allows researchers and engineers in many disciplines to store, share, and manage datasets with colleagues within their own networks or across the globe.
“As research in nearly all technical domains becomes more data intensive,” explained Dr. Forough Ghahramani, Edge’s associate vice president for Research Innovation and Sponsored Programs, “Edge looks for new ways to provide its customers with improved access to more high-quality data as well as greater networking and computing opportunities.”
IEEE DataPort offers institutional users unlimited access to the platform and a custom dashboard that allows for real-time organization and tracking. Users can upload datasets (up to 10TB each) as well as supporting materials like video, audio, and images, consolidating their research into a single location and making it instantly available for review and feedback from the global technical community. They can also apply logos or other unique markings to increase the organization’s brand recognition. Colleagues can then download the data directly or access it securely from the cloud, citing it in their own research when applicable.
To date, IEEE DataPort has more than 1.7 million unique users (averaging about 80,000 website visits a month) and over 2,900 datasets available. With the overlap in technical domains and research organizations across the country, the Edge/IEEE partnership anticipates a steady increase of users and datasets to harness the power of data sharing to help other pioneers accelerate scientific discovery and innovation. To arrange for an IEEE DataPort demonstration or for additional information on IEEE
DataPort and consortium pricing agreements, please email [ieeedataport at njedge dot net].
Edge is a non-profit research and education network and technical partner to educational institutions, hospital networks, government entities, and other nonprofit organizations. Their mission is to empower members’ digital transformation by providing affordable, reliable, and thought-leading technology, connectivity, and services.