QUESTnet '96

The Conference for Network Managers and Practitioners

3-5 July 1996

Pre-Conference Tutorials:
2 July 1996

James Cook University of North Queensland

Townsville, Queensland

Welcome to the QUESTnet '96 Home Page.

QUESTnet is the Queensland Education, Science and Technology Network and is that part of AARNet (the Australian Academic and Research Network) in the Queensland region.

Member organisations are:

University of Queensland
Queensland University of Technology
Griffith University
Central Queensland University
James Cook University of North Queensland
University of Southern Queensland
Southern Cross University (NSW)
Bond University
Australian Catholic University
Australian Institute of Marine Science
C.S.I.R.O.

The annual QUESTnet Conference and Workshop provides a forum for network managers, designers and supporters to meet in a convivial atmosphere and share their knowledge and experience. It also provides a forum for presenters to give papers relating to all aspects of network management and service.

This year's conference has a series of plenary sessions on topics of relevance to all. It also has a series of sessions divided into two streams; both technical. The original QUESTnet Conferences were purely technical, then they provided a second stream with a less technical network content geared particularly to the interests of libraries. Subsequently libraries have developed their own network related conferences and QUESTnet has reverted back to a mostly technical orientation.

Pre-Conference Tutorials

In this document:

• Who Should Attend?
• Why You Should Attend

Sponsorship from the following is gratefully acknowledged:

• Cisco Systems Australia Pty Limited
• Anixter Australia Pty Limited

Who Should Attend?

The QUESTnet '96 Conference is aimed at all who have an interest in computer communications and in the services made available by the current -- and to be made available by the future -- technology. Those who should attend include:

• Network managers, designers and supporters of computer networks at a technical level.
• Government, industrial and commercial executives and senior staff who are interested in establishing direct links to the research capability and networking facilities provided by QUESTnet or who wish to access the Internet - bearing in mind that most sessions are technical.
• Network managers and implementers, and information technology service providers from academia, government and industry.
• Telecommunications carriers and service providers.
• Telecommunications and computer equipment suppliers.

Why You Should Attend

Education

QUESTnet '96 will provide attendees from the education and research sectors with access to a variety of technical specialists and suppliers, providing the latest in ideas, equipment and solutions for real network problems. The conference will also provide an insight into future directions for the development of network and information services, associated resource discovery and the latest in applications and tools.

Government

Attendees from the public sector can expect to take advantage of the particular emphasis which has been placed on conference activities to promote Government links into QUESTnet. Specifically designed tutorials, conference papers, demonstrations and network access has been arranged to enhance understanding of the functionality of the network. The conference program and displays, and discussion with other conference delegates, will provide an ideal opportunity for government representatives to become active participants in the use and ongoing development of the network in the Queensland region.

Industry

Private sector attendees will be provided with an occasion to see the capabilities and opportunities which access to QUESTnet allows. The conference will also provide an insight into the rapid development of a new communications infrastructure, one which is facilitating access to contacts within the government and research sectors and enhancing opportunities for commercial involvement.

In all, conference attendees can expect to broaden their understanding of the issues facing and directing the growth of the network infrastructure and the development of network services.