The Access Grid is an ensemble of resources including multimedia large-format displays presentation and interactive environments, and interfaces to Grid middleware and to visualization environments.

These resources are used to support group-to-group interactions across the Grid. For example, the Access Grid (AG) is used for large-scale distributed meetings, collaborative work sessions, seminars, lectures, tutorials, and training. The Access Grid thus differs from desktop-to-desktop tools that focus on individual communication.

The Access Grid has over 1,500 users worldwide. Each institution has one or more AG nodes, or "designed spaces," that contain the high-end audio and visual technology needed to provide a high-quality compelling user experience. The nodes are also used as a research environment for the development of distributed data and visualization corridors and for the study of issues relating to collaborative work in distributed environments.

The AG technology was developed by the Futures Laboratory at Argonne National Laboratory and is deployed by the NCSA PACI Alliance.

To participate in a Lariat AGN event, please refer to our Access Grid Node contact list to contact the AGN technician at your institution.