On display for the first time, at SIGGRAPH 2005, is the Access Grid, a ground-breaking technological development that allows for a new form of global collaboration. After speaking with Jeff Carpenter and Jennifer Teig von Hoffman, the two people in charge of Access Grid, I was made aware of the amazing capabilities that the Access Grid brings to the conference. To put it simply, the Access Grid allows for the direct connection between many computers (1,500 or so) from places all over the globe, all at once. This connection permits the transfer of high-end audio and visual data, providing a highly interactive user experience that breaks new boundaries. Surprisingly, multiple versions of the Access Grid have been in use for over 5 years. However, it has not been displayed publicly until this year’s conference.

A demonstration of conversation and music (titled In Common Time) was held to show off the unequaled capabilities of the Access Grid. Through shared live multistream video, the presenter, James Alaberia, communicated simultaneously with multiple Access Grid operators from five different continents across the world. To help distinguish who was speaking at any given moment during the conversation, audio was fed out of a different speaker for each person. Ivy Crawford, James’ lovely 11 year old assistant, worked together with her friend Manny to conduct a digital world concert. Thanks to the help of the newly developed Beat Clock, musicians and dancers from Florida, England, Korea, Chile, Australia, and Los Angeles all created a synchronized musical piece about the Access Grid. It was truly both a musically digital and digitally musical masterpiece.