Township High School District 214, the second largest high school district in Illinois, has selected Comcast (News - Alert) Metro Ethernet Services to deliver cloud computing, virtualization and Web-based educational tools.

Comcast's Metro Ethernet provides the capacity and bandwidth necessary to connect to IlliniCloud for 24/7 access and storage of this critical data. IlliniCloud is a cloud-based, statewide IT network built by Illinois school districts, for the backup of finance, payroll, human resources, and student information.

"We believe the future is in cloud computing and virtualization is the first step to bringing the district to a completely cloud-based environment," said Keith Bockwoldt, director of technology at District 214, in a statement.

"Kids today are growing up in a digital world, and we want to prepare our students, educators and community for the future. Comcast's Metro Ethernet gives us the capacity and bandwidth to deliver cloud, virtualization, streaming video and other bandwidth-intensive systems to better serve our students and help keep us on budget," said Bockwoldt.

District 214 is recognized by the Center for Digital Education and the National School Boards Association as a Top Ten Technology School District in the nation. 

"District 214 is a prime example of how schools can use Comcast's Metro Ethernet to take advantage of cloud, virtualization and multimedia programs to improve the educational experience, improve efficiency and manage costs," said Bill Stemper, president of Comcast Business Services.

"The district's success shows us that these programs are not only applicable to the corporate world, as District 214 has achieved specific, measurable results from their innovative use of technology," said Stemper.

Comcast Business Services, a unit of Comcast Corporation, provides advanced communication solutions to help organizations of all sizes meet their business objectives.

Recently, Comcast Corporation announced that international real estate firm Kennedy Wilson is providing high-speed Internet, voice and cable television from Comcast Business Class to support its tenants' communications needs in the Denver area.