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{\bf Appendix A. \qquad \large \bf ACTION-NYS}
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This project is part of our new industrial economic development program
ACTION-NYS, which is partially funded by New York State. We hope that this 
project will be one of our showcase industrial applications. The State 
funding will allow us to reduce the level of funding from Niagara Mohawk,
since ACTION will cover a substantial part of the costs of the proposal.

ACTION-NYS is the technology transfer program of the Northeast
Parallel Architectures Center (NPAC).  It introduces and integrates
parallel computing into New York State industry by enabling NPAC
scientists and affiliated Syracuse faculty to apply their parallel
computing knowledge to large, complex industrial applications.  ACTION
also provides industrial access to the latest parallel machines, as
well as education and training in high performance parallel computing.

Direction for the ACTION program is provided by Professor Geoffrey Fox
with guidance from the ACTION High Performance Computing Industrial
Advisory Board consisting of 17 top executives from New York State
industries and the ACTION Regional Economic Development Committee
comprised of representatives from Central New York economic
development agencies. 
Niagara Mohawk is represented on the Advisory Board.

The ACTION Program operates by reaching out to New York State industry
to explore opportunities in parallel computing.  In cooperation with
high level technical executives of targeted corporations, ACTION
initially prepares a survey of potential for parallel computing for
that industry.  The experienced NPAC staff then determines the most
effective methodology for integration of parallel computing into the
industry.  Typically, small ``proof-of-concept'' projects are initiated
to demonstrate that parallel computing is beneficial to the industry.
The next step is to identify a large applications project that
actually begins to integrate parallel computing technology into the
processes of the corporation.  
A number of industrial projects are already completed or underway, with
such companies as IBM, General Electric, and Sonnet Software.

Other activities of ACTION include the quarterly publication of the
newsletter, Parallel Computing News, produced to inform NPAC's clients
and advisors of current developments in the field of high performance
parallel computing.  Education and training are also offered to
prepare the next generation of workers and to upgrade skills of the 
present workforce.
Geoffrey Fox and other ACTION-affiliated
experts often address groups of industrial executives to introduce
them to issues and uses of parallel computing.

High performance parallel computing can play an important role in the
development of industries and the advancement of technologies that
lead to industrial development.  The ACTION program contributes to
this effort through the dissemination, application and integration of
parallel computing to help industries to develop new consumer and
industrial products, and the development of new processes to increase
productivity and the competitiveness of existing products.

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