Technology today is advancing at an enormous pace. The Internet continues to be the fastest growing medium, wireless communications technologies are the second fastest growing mediums, and broadband communications technologies have been gaining widespread acceptance from both consumers and service providers. The rising Internet and wireless communications penetration rate in all regions will fuel growth, while the introduction of higher bandwidth services will facilitate the introduction of live streaming media and peer to peer services, which in turn will boost Internet advertising. There is an on-going convergence of high-speed data and voice technologies that is fostering the establishment of new enterprises while enabling both businesses and individual consumers greater efficiencies with immediate access to desired information. The day-to-day reliance upon information technologies and wireless communications is enormous yet the promise of this convergence has yet to be realized.
The mission of the New York State Center for Advanced Technology in Telecommunications (CATT) at Polytechnic University is to foster industry/university partnerships and education in order to commercialize our research that capitalizes on the benefits of these converging technologies. In addition, CATT will address and help solve problems while creating exciting new opportunities in the following three areas:
1. Wireless and Personal Communications networks and devices 2. Integrated and Secure Information Technologies and Solutions 3. Multi-media applications/services
Center Description
Formed in 1982 through a program initiated by the State of New York, CATT is entering its 25th year as a leading research institution. CATT receives $1,000,000 in annual funding from the The New York State Foundation for Science, Technology and Innovation (NYSTAR) with a similar amount of funding received annually from industry for research and education.
NYSTAR’s mission is comprised of four key goals – benchmarks that reflect the overall charge given to NYSTAR by the Jobs 2000 legislation.
These key goals are:
1. Spur economic development in New York State through academic research. 2. Substantially increase the amount of Federal research dollars New York and its researchers obtain. 3. Coordinate and organize New York’s wide array of science and technology informational resources and provide our academic, business and research communities access to these resources.
4. Develop and recommend policies to the Governor and Legislature that will allow the State to take greater advantage of the tremendous economic power of its inherent science, technology, and academic research assets.
CATT’s research, industry, and educational activities are very much in alignment with those goals. The past successes of CATT have resulted in being awarded a designation as an Enhanced Center of Advanced Technology (E-CAT) in Wireless Internet Communications. That designation evolved into a NSF funded research center, Wireless Internet Center of Advanced Technology (WICAT), in which Polytechnic University is the lead research institution. CATT’s research has also led to receipt of a $1.6 million grant to develop Cyber-crime Prevention initiatives.
