NTT/VERIO Network Services To Assist The Academy of Natural Sciences In Its Mission to Serve Public as Centralized Resource For Environmental Issues [June 8, 2004]

International museum aims to use increased connectivity to help establish itself as 'Town Square' for environmental issues

Englewood, Colo., June 8, 2004 - Verio, a subsidiary of NTT Communications Corporation and a leader in global IP solutions, today announced that the Academy of Natural Sciences has expanded its services with Verio to include an enhanced circuit architecture that will provide the Academy increased computing power and connectivity to the NTT/VERIO Global IP Network.

Since its founding in 1812, the Academy has made tremendous progress in the development of its world-renowned scientific research and expansive scientific collections. The Philadelphia-based Museum arm of the organization develops and presents exhibits and programs for a wide variety of audiences. Educational programming aims to cultivate respect and concern for natural science, ecological relationships and environmental integrity through formal classroom lessons and outreach programs. The Academy's research program includes the Environmental Research Group, which comprises the foremost watershed research and education group in the country; and the Center for Systematic Biology and Evolution, which maintains a world-class collection of 17 million specimens.

Previously, the Academy was using a T1 to deliver 1.5 mbps of Internet connectivity to its 250 employees, who primarily use the Internet for email and online research purposes. To meet the business goals of the Academy, the organization chose to upgrade its existing network service. “The Academy recently developed a strategic plan that aims to position itself as the center of communication on environmental issues. The enhanced network service, which delivers up to 45 Mbps on a dedicated connection, will play a vital role in the Academy achieving this goal,” said Joseph Resnick, director of Information Technologies for the Academy. “The first major milestone in this effort was reached with our recently-launched Town Square Initiative, bringing together scientific and policy experts with the general public for critical environmental workshops and public forums. We just completed our first Town Square event featuring famous wildlife expert Dr. Jane Goodall, with more than 400 people in attendance and webcasts to five remote sites in four countries. Without our enhanced network services, this would not have been a success.”

Resnick added that the steps the Academy is taking to achieve its strategic goals require reliable and high-performance network services. Distance learning initiatives for example, will aim to provide live online forums and electronic feeds to remote schools to help increase awareness scientific research for schoolchildren who typically do not have ample access to scientific resources. Web cams in the live animal center, as well as media and video downloads, will aid The Academy's distance learning efforts. The Academy also plans to make continuously increasing bioinformatics and other research data available online, including animal image databases. Internet connectivity is also available to the museum's 1000 visitors per day, depending on the exhibit.

Enhanced solutions will also make it easier for scientists and other Academy staff to work from home offices, as well as from the field. Large scientific documents, such as research reports, statistical analyses, and databases used for cataloging millions of different species, will be significantly easier to securely access and work with from remote locations.

“Verio has been helpful in making sure the Academy has ample power and a stable connection - in fact, the customer support and network reliability are the two main reasons we chose to continue with Verio for our network services needs,” said Resnick. “We plan to initiate additional member services so donors and Academy members will benefit from improved online content. We hope these efforts will help to expand our audience, and increase the value of the Academy for our existing audiences.”

“In developing an IT strategy, the Academy understood that plans to advance its standing within the scientific community were not possible with its current system and decided to augment the existing infrastructure,” said James Treuting, president of Network Services at Verio. “The Academy is diligently working to make scientific research and resources readily available to students and educators, as well as to the general public and Academy benefactors. Verio is pleased to support the Academy in its efforts within the scientific and educational communities and as it serves the public at large.”

About The Academy of Natural Sciences
The Academy of Natural Sciences, an international museum of natural history operating since 1812, undertakes research and public education that focuses on the environment and its diverse species. The mission of the Academy is to create the basis for a healthy and sustainable planet through exploration, research and education.

About Verio
Verio Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTT Communications (NTT Com), which provides complementary global network access reaching over 200 countries worldwide. Verio is one of the world's largest operator of Web sites for businesses and a leading provider of global IP solutions. NTT Com and Verio market their global IP solutions under the NTT/VERIO brand. The company offers businesses a broad range of Internet services, including Web hosting, dedicated access, virtual private networks, and managed service offerings, among other enhanced services. Verio supports its operations with highly reliable and scalable global infrastructure and systems including the NTT/VERIO Global IP Network, and provides Web hosting services to customers in more than 146 countries. The combination of Verio and NTT Com offers services to meet the growing and diverse needs of all businesses, including small to medium businesses, large global enterprises and multi-national corporations. More information can be found at www.verio.com and www.ntt.com/index-e.html.