“City gets ‘grid’ options, IBM says”

The Advocate covers a luncheon meeting at Don’s yesterday that put folks from IBM together with local business and governmental types to take a look at what “Grid” computing could do for Lafayette–and, of course, what projects and potential projects in the Hub City could do for IBM’s regional reps and the grid computing team.

LONI, LITE, and Lafayette’s FTTH project were nodes in the discussion about making use of excess computing power and big pipe connectivity. The touchpoint for the IBMers in the crowd was the OneCleveland project. A key to the the Cleveland project and to the whole idea of using grid computing and high technology to push economic development was that old methods of local governments encouraging business development–cheifly by directly subsidizing businesses or by tax rebates –were fading and that, instead, building infrastructure and facilitating linkages was on the rise. That, should it prove productive, would certainly make sustaining our tax base easier.

There was a lot of energy in the room but as one IBM rep said:

Grid is “just a technology,” Crockett said.

The challenge is what to do with it, he said…

LUS Director Terry Huval and many on his staff were at the presentation.

“The vision for all this is a big view, down the road,” Huval said. “We need to take advantage of what we have as a community.”

The common theme seemed to be that Lafayette has given itself the potential to shape a unique future for itself. It will be interesting to see how well we can dream.