Establishing a Next Generation Internet (NGI) Incubator at UC Berkeley

Please send queries to Tom Kalil (510-642-4106) or Jim Demmel.

Summary and Purpose

CommerceNet is a nonprofit consortium one of whose goals is to help incubate NGI applications and startups. They have just established (Oct 2001) one center at UC Berkeley and one at UC San Diego. Eight companies have been identified in the first round for support. These companies will have access to space, high speed networking facilties, some staff support, and (based on mutual interest) faculty and students.

There is some money in the grant to support students to collaborate with these companies on problems of mutual interest. The purpose of this web page is to provide short summaries of the company's proposals to identify these mutual interests.

Four companies are in northern California and four in southern California, which will probably determine which incubator's physical facilties will be used (UCB's or UCSC's), but if there is sufficient mutual interest then joint work with any company is welcome.

If you are interested in talking to these companies, please contact either Tom Kalil (510-642-4106) or Jim Demmel.

Contact information for all 8 companies to be support initially in incubator, in Word

Short summaries of all 8 companies

Companies are marked Northern California (NC) or Southern California (SC). They are also marked either TK = Tom Kalil or JD = Jim Demmel, to indicate the local contact for more information.
  • 3DGeo Development Inc - Internet Seismic Processing and Collaboration for Energy Exploration. (NC) (JD) 3DGeo will develop and commercialize an NGI application for Internet seismic processing. 3DGeo is currently developing an Internet seismic processing system (INSP) that enables remote delivery of their leading-edge seismic imaging services to energy exploration companies. This technology will be used to develop energy resources in California, thereby reducing energy costs and helping to solve California's energy crisis
  • Commerce One - Global Trading Web Catalog. (NC) (TK) Commerce One will build and pilot the first open, Internet-based virtual catalog. The Global Trading Web (GTW) Catalog will provide real-time integrated access to info about products and services on thousands of supplier catalogs listed with the Global Trading Web and other emarketplaces.
  • Kenamea - NGI Application Catalyst Program. (NC) (JD) Kenamea is a Californian based early stage venture that is developing a new category of software, called the Application Network that provides a new and necessary communications layer that readies the Internet for next generation applications. Kenamea will use grant funds to speed next generation application development and deployment across multiple industries using two of its customers: Thomas Weisel Partners: Real Time Trade Execution and Analytic Reporting, and Virgin Mobile: Real Time Supply Chain Management.
  • Sophica, Inc. - Pilot Study. (NC) (JD) Sophica will perform a 3 month pilot study of its application-aware delivery process, "virtual services", designed for mobile operators and software services infrastructure. A virtual service is based on the notion that the operator can assemble value-added services by wiring together higher-level application component descriptions. Virtual services provide end users with transparent, authenticated access to multiple online resources where information is relayed from application to application before being assembled and presented back to the wireless device in a form that can be easily understood.
  • UCLA- Advanced Policy Institute - Neighborhood Knowledge California (NKCA). (SC) (TK) NKCA will support an online community concerned with attracting investment to improve conditions in California's impoverished areas. At the heart of this online community will be a freely accessible, statewide Geographic Information System (GIS) repository. The platform will be made up of a number of hosted services, including database update and GIS data availability via a secure service interface. These services will be unified with a number of interactive online community features, including extensible project pages and web-based interactive mapping services that allow groups and individuals to contribute in building the GIS repository. The project aims to build on the latest innovations in web technology to spur community improvements, encourage new banking opportunities, impact government, public policy and neighborhood planning efforts, and contribute to new development projects and opportunities for local business.
  • Pangea Foundation - Abilities Network. (SC) (TK) Abilities Networks is a comprehensive program to research, design, and implement information technologies that ensure people with disabilities can participate fully in the digital economy. This project uses the Next Generation Internet (NGI) to create a series of online information management tools and assistive technology applications that enhance Internet capabilities for people with disabilities. Abilities Networks provide a framework for community organizations, government agencies, businesses, educational institutions and other public and public entities to meet important national goals of developing universally designed Internet applications and services.
  • Strain Monitor - NGI Based Civil Infrastructure Monitoring System. (SC) (JD) Strain Monitor Systems (SMS) will develop a structural health monitoring system that connects to the Internet via a high-speed wireless link. To accelerate commercialization, SMS will disseminate information to potential users, collect data relating to their specific needs and install a monitoring station at an NGI Center for demonstration purposes.
  • UCSD/SDSC - Secure and Scalable System Logging for the Next Generation Internet. (SC) UCSD/San Diego Supercomputer Center will develop next-generation system and transactional logging software that will adhere to emerging industry standards, and will support the unique requirements of the NGI environment.

    • 3 page proposals from each company

  • 3D Geo (NC) in Word
  • Commerce One (NC) in Word
  • Kenamea (NC) in Word
  • Sophica (NC) in Word
  • UCLA Advanced Policy Institute (SC) in Word
  • Pangea (SC) in Word
  • Strain Monitor (SC) in Word
  • UCSD (SC) in Word

    • Proposal Soliciation from CommerceNet to establish incubators in Word

    UC Berkeley's proposal in response to solicitation, in Word