| The demand for Minneapolis computer rentals | | | | the RNC's official innovation provider, have |
| and short-term computer hardware leasing | | | | already begun preparations in |
| arrangements will spike at summer's end when | | | | Minneapolis-Saint Paul. At the micro level, |
| the Republican Party convenes in | | | | computer rental and rental equipment |
| Minneapolis-Saint Paul for the 2008 | | | | providers are ramping up to fill the demand |
| Republican National Convention. The National | | | | for the computer hardware, peripherals and A |
| Journal's Congress Daily reports that "the | | | | V equipment that will be required at the |
| political counterpart of Moore's law" will be | | | | auxiliary venues and events away from the |
| operative both in the Twin Cities and in | | | | main convention site. |
| Denver, where the Democratic Party will hold | | | | |
| its National Convention at the end of August. | | | | The demand for bandwidth is likely to be |
| "With each quadrennial national political | | | | atrocious. The COA has arranged for |
| convention," the National Journal notes, "the | | | | USTREAM.TV to stream live coverage of the RNC |
| use of information technology seems to grow | | | | from the convention site and for ShadowTV to |
| exponentially." | | | | provide continuous live and archival coverage |
| | | | of the convention proceedings from the Xcel |
| By way of example, in 2004 only 12 online | | | | Center. Arrangements are also being made to |
| bloggers received press credentials to cover | | | | stream live coverage of the convention in |
| the RNC that was held in New York City. The | | | | Spanish as well as English. |
| RNC has announced that it will credential | | | | |
| over ten times that figure to blog on the RNC | | | | Qwest, the RNC's official telecom provider, |
| that will be held at Saint Paul's Xcel Energy | | | | is putting down over 100 miles of fiber |
| Centre, September 1st to 4th. Matt Burns, the | | | | optics and copper cable to provide a gigabyte |
| RNC's director of communications, has | | | | of bandwidth just to facilitate the demand |
| estimated that between 175 and 200 | | | | for coverage of proceedings from inside the |
| independent bloggers will be credentialed for | | | | convention, while outside Verizon Wireless is |
| this year's convention. | | | | anticipating a 150% increase in data |
| | | | transmissions over its broadband network |
| The RNC's Committee on Arrangements (COA) is | | | | during the convention. |
| expecting more than 45,000 delegates, | | | | |
| alternate delegates, party officials, | | | | Just as the demand for products and services |
| volunteers, media members and convention | | | | from hotel rooms to caterers to rental cars |
| guests to show up for the 2008 gathering of | | | | will peak during convention week, so too will |
| the G.O.P. faithful. The COA has contracted | | | | demand for the computer hardware and |
| with more than 100 hotels for accommodation | | | | technical support to set up, maintain and |
| and there are nearly 50 venues spread out | | | | troubleshoot the digital infrastructure |
| amongst Minneapolis, Saint Paul and | | | | underlying the convention. National firms |
| Bloomington where separate events will be | | | | specializing in computer rental, equipment |
| held as adjuncts to the main convention. | | | | rentals and computer support are now |
| | | | beginning to shift resources and prepare |
| With the number of venues putting on events | | | | their logistics to handle the coming peak in |
| and the vastly greater number of mainstream | | | | demand. Preparations are being made to |
| and independent journalist covering those | | | | transfer equipment, resources and personnel |
| events, demand for computer equipment and | | | | from other regional centers to the Twin |
| technical support to bring off what promises | | | | Cities in order to handle the demand for |
| to be an intensely high-wired convention week | | | | Minneapolis computer rentals that will be |
| will be prodigious. At the macro level, blue | | | | necessary to host the wide array of |
| chip technology providers like Microsoft, | | | | convention events and to bring live coverage |
| which is the RNC's official technology | | | | of the G.O.P.'s festivities to the world. |
| provider, Qwest Communications and Google, | | | | |