IBM worked with OneCleveland to help health care, education, research and government organizations use grid computing technology to better collaborate on projects. The idea is that the sophisticated computing will eventually help the region lure new businesses and professional talent, as well as provide more jobs.

To wit, the Healthcare collaborative Grid is a plan to allow hospitals to share information, laying the foundation for improved health care for patients through better collaboration among doctors. For example, the grid could make sure the right MRIs get to the right medical professionals or even the right medication gets to the right patient.

There is also a K-12 Outreach Grid to let teachers tap into the resources from other school systems, universities and content providers. Teachers in this grid program hope to deliver better educational programs.

The Higher Education Collaborative Grid will make education more accessible to students who may not have been able to participate, providing an increase in attendance in local Ohio universities.

OneCleveland President Scot Rourke said his organization has worked with IBM for the last two years on the project. He declined to discuss specific technology because the grid programs are in various degrees of building mode.

"We started out doing an inventory of the community of economic development opportunities using grid," Rourke said. "We sent out surveys, we did interviews and we identified the applications as terrific opportunities. We are coordinating amongst the champions in each of those areas to integrate their highly varied technologies."

Source: IntranetNewsPrashanth RaiTags: Grid Computing, Big Blue, Government.