NELINET: Tech Sandbox: dSpace

NELINET offers dSpace in Sandbox
http://forums.nelinet.net/sandbox/
SOUTHBOROUGH, MA, December 7, 2006 – This week, NELINET announced the launch of its Technology Sandbox service, a new online lab where members can learn about and experience using emerging information technology systems, applications, and software. The first test system to be added to the Technology Sandbox is DSpace, the open-source institutional repository software developed by Hewlett-Packard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Members who want to experiment with bringing their digital content online can access the DSpace Test site via NELINET’s Technology Sandbox at: http://forums.nelinet.net/sandbox/
“The original idea of the Sandbox grew out of discussions with members who told us that their biggest challenge is the constant need to keep up-to-date about new technologies and trends,” said Arnold Hirshon, NELINET’s Executive Director. “The Sandbox fulfills NELINET’s mission to facilitate members’ adoption of new technologies that help make information more accessible to their users.”
“The true benefit of the DSpace Test implementation is that members can go in to the Sandbox and immediately use the open-source institutional repository without the hassle of having to install the software themselves,” says Ed Sperr, NELINET’s project administrator for the DSpace test lab.
NELINET plans to add new technologies to the Sandbox on a monthly schedule. In January 2007, wiki and blog applications will be added, followed shortly by balloting and voting software. Later next year, NELINET’s Information Technology staff plan to add open-source federated searching and open URL linking solutions as well as a student portfolio management program. Discussions are also underway with some commercial companies to provide access to their products in a test mode on an unlimited basis.
Members interested in registering for an account on NELINET’s Technology Sandbox should contact Kathy Courcy (courcy@nelinet.net) at 1.800.NELINET, ext. 125. If you have suggestions for future Sandbox implementations, please contact Siobhan Ross (ross@nelinet.net) at 1.800.NELINET, ext. 1923.