OTTAWA, Dec. 14 -- CANARIE, Canada's Advanced Research and Innovation Network, announced today that after a 15 year tenure as Chief Research Officer of CANARIE, Bill St. Arnaud will be stepping down in January 2010 to pursue new opportunities in research and education networks. Building on his significant contribution and ongoing passion for research and networking, Bill will pursue new opportunities particularly those that focus on the development and application of technologies that reduce carbon emissions and help to slow the rate of global warming. This is a priority area that Bill has championed both within CANARIE and in the broader research network worldwide, and one in which CANARIE will remain interested and solidly engaged.

Bill came on early in the existence of CANARIE and played an instrumental role in the development of Canada's advanced research and innovation network. He served as the principal architect of concepts such as customer-owned networks and user-controlled lightpaths, which put advanced networking capability directly in the hands of researchers; infrastructure as a service, which provides users with easy, scalable access to IT resources and services over the network; various broadband strategies; and most recently, how networks can help to address the challenge of climate change.

These initiatives have increased CANARIE's impact on innovation in Canada, enabling scientists to harness the power of the network in their research, and inspiring many companies to adopt and commercialize these concepts in their business. They have also influenced the development of research and education networks around the world. Building on his leadership role in international community, Bill received the World Technology Network Communications Technology Award in 2005, and was inducted as a Fellow of the organization.

"It has been a privilege to work with the exceptional team at CANARIE these many years and the stakeholders we serve," said Bill. "I believe strongly in the vision and mission of CANARIE, and in the critical role that research and education networks will continue to play in science and industry, particularly in the creation of new business models and Internet architectures. I look forward to my continued involvement with the Research and Education community especially around initiatives that mitigate climate change."

"On behalf of the corporation and our community, I would like to express our sincere appreciation to Bill for his 15 years of service, and his remarkable legacy to advanced networking in Canada," said Guy Bujold, president and CEO of CANARIE. "We wish Bill all the best in his future endeavors."

About CANARIE

CANARIE Inc. is Canada's Advanced Research and Innovation Network. Established in 1993, CANARIE manages an ultra high-speed network, hundreds of times faster than the internet, which facilitates leading-edge research and big science across Canada and around the world. More than 39,000 researchers at nearly 200 Canadian universities and colleges use the CANARIE Network, as well as researchers at institutes, hospitals, and government laboratories throughout the country. The CANARIE Network enables researchers to share and analyze massive amounts of data, which can lead to ground-breaking scientific discoveries. CANARIE's network, programs, and strategic partnerships with 12 regional networks in Canada, and 100 international networks in more than 80 countries, stimulate research that delivers economic, social, and cultural benefits to Canadians. CANARIE is a non-profit corporation supported by membership fees, with major funding of its programs and activities provided by the Government of Canada. For additional information, visit www.canarie.ca.

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Source: CANARIE Inc.