The University of Rochester is one of two national institutions featured in the June 2001 issue of University Business for its use of advanced technology to provide its students, faculty, and staff with secure remote access via the Internet.
Rochester, along with the University of Minnesota, was spotlighted for its implementation of a Virtual Private Network, or VPN. A VPN allows members of the campus community to connect to databases that normally are restricted to those using a computer on campus. Faculty, staff, and students who are traveling or at home thus are able to conduct their work from a remote location.
A VPN permits individuals to use their own Internet service providers to connect them to campus. This represents a better option for remote users than do modem pools, which allow a user's computer to dial in directly to the campus network. Modem pools are expensive to install and maintain.
The University's Web page on VPN was cited as "a comprehensive resource for users."