Company Overview

The Telecom Applications Research Alliance (TARA) aims to establish a world class telecommunication R&D facility from its base in Nova Scotia, Canada. TARA is a joint initiative of global telecoms manufacturer Northern Telecom (Nortel), local telco Maritime Tel & Tel (MT&T), and the prestigious Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS). The TARA initiative has achieved a world 'first' in making a live DMS-100 switch available to private telecom application development companies in the local, national, and international market place. As members of TARA, companies can take advantage of the many advanced features of TARA's DMS-100 switch to test and refine advanced telecom applications on a 'live' private switching network.

Typical applications that may be tested at the TARA facility include Internet applications and enhanced business services which exploit such features as simultaneous voice and data call handling on a single line, and voice recognition. Testing may be conducted alone, with other companies, or in collaboration with university researchers.

TARA's planned operating budget of $15 million over the first five years is derived principally from the private sector in the form of cash, in-kind contributions, and royalties from funded projects. Federal and Provincial Governments have committed $4.1 over the same period under the Canada/Nova Scotia COOPERATION Agreement on Technology Development. In addition, Nortel is donating the DMS-100 switch, valued at $2.5 million, while MT&T is contributing matching value in terms of office space, technical support, and pilot test bandwidth.

TARA went 'on-line' in August 1995, when Brian Penney assumed the position of president. Prior to this appointment, Dr Penney was director of the Ottawa Carleton Research Institute (OCRI) Broadband Network Infrastructure Program and was instrumental in setting up the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education (CANARIE). TARA's structureis broadly similar to that of CANARIE, and the initial narrowband program parallels OCRI's Infrastructure Program.

TARA is adopting a phased approach to the support of telecom application development. In the first phase, the focus will be on narrowband technologies which transfer up to 1.5 megabits of data per second. Typical examples are electronic commerce, distance education, Internet-based consumer transactions, and applications for the World Wide Web. In the next phase, TARA will expand into wireless communication including cellular, indoor local area networks, and personal communication systems. And in a later phase, very high speed broadband applications will be supported.

TARA is dedicated to the creation of high quality employment opportunities in telecom and information technology. By investing a planned $3.5 million in joint ventures, university research projects, and student scholarships, TARA aims to support more than 50 person years of R&D employment. In addition, these TARA-related projects are likely to spin off an equivalent number of related positions in member organizations. Furthermore, TARA's original investment will generate additional employment in manufacturing, sales and marketing, and administrative support.

TARA's applications development facility, known as TARAnet, centres round the DMS-100 switching system in Halifax. Member organizations and project participants may use TARAnet on TARA premises, or remotely either through MT&T's fibre optic network in Nova Scotia, or through CANARIE in the rest of Canada. Additional points of presence are being established on major users' premises. Other members may connect to the network from these locations.

TARA will move toward financial self-sufficiency through income from its endeavors. Principal sources will be the graduated membership fees consisting of a mixture of cash and in-kind contributions, and the return on investment in joint projects. These projects will be governed by jointly negotiated business agreements between TARA and member companies, and will include a return to TARA in the form of royalties from commercialized products or equity in joint ventures. Fees from non-members wishing to take advantage of TARA's unique facilities will provide a secondary revenue stream.

For further information on TARA, contact Brian Penney, President.

Company Information

Additional Details

Legal Name: Telecom Applications Research Alliance

Number of Employees: 6

Contacts

Products

• Dms-100 Switch

NAICS Categories

• 334210 Telephone Apparatus Manufacturing

Additional Information