Tortus July Newsletter

July 17, 2008

A person stands in front of one of the six detectors attached
to the Large Hadron Collider in Geneva, Switzerland.
Credit & Copyright: Maximilien Brice, CERN

The Grid: The End of the Internet As We Know it.

What's "The Grid"? 

The Grid was created by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) as a result of the world's largest scientific experiment. For the past 15 years CERN, the same organization that created the World Wide Web in 1990, has been working on a project in which they plan to recreate the Big Bang theory. To do so, scientists in Geneva have constructed a device called the Large Hadron Collider, which will duplicate the formation of the Universe by crashing billions of protons into each other at the speed of light. Altogether, over 600 Million collisions will take place every second.

To collect this monumental amount of data CERN scientists have spent the past 7 years creating the Grid - a system of fiber optic cables that link over 50,000 servers around the world. By creating this high-speed network they were able to form a "supercomputer" - one that can easily handle the massive amount of information that the Big Bang will create.

Although the Grid will be officially launched later this summer to coincide with the Collider experiment, it's already being developed for mainstream use around the world. It will be over 10,000 times faster than modern broadband connections and will download an HD feature film in under a second. Webcams will be replaced by crystal clear images and sound, and video gaming will reach a level of surrealness that has yet to be comprehended. Medical researchers are also planning to utilize the speed of the Grid to analyze 140 million different drug compounds - a process that would take 420 years using the modern Internet.

Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of GE and a UMASS graduate once said, "change before you have to".  At a time when 80% of Internet users are using a high-speed connection, it's critical that your business is meeting technology's ever changing needs. Partner with a company that is always one step ahead; visit our website to learn how Tortus has been bringing businesses up to speed since 1996.

Upcoming Seminars

Summer Think Tank

Wednesday, July 23rd from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Take a break from the heat and join us for an open discussion with other local business executives. We will discuss relevant topics such as how to grow your business while keeping your business model intact, as well as how to position that model on the web. Harry Moore, President of Tortus Technologies, will be present to share his experiences.

Internet Security

Wednesday, August 20th from 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Join Tortus as we delve into the practices of modern day Internet security. We'll discuss what to look for on transactional websites as well as evaluate the security of your site. We'll also analyze what went wrong in some well known web-based security breaches. Bring your questions!

Both seminars will be held at the offices of Tortus Technologies in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
Seating is limited (15 per seminar) and available on a first-come first-serve basis. Email us today to sign up.