Originally designed by scientists to be used for collaborative research projects, the Internet has become a staple of education and business communications. Leading the way into the future are UC Davis and 33 other research universities that have agreed to build the next generation of Internet -- Internet II. One of the main goals, says Internet architect Russ Hobby, is to design a way around the information gridlock. "There are new applications in line, but people aren't willing to use them because the current Internet infrastructure will not support them," says Hobby, director of the Advanced Networked and Scientific Applications unit of Information Technology at UC Davis. Hobby is currently designing a network thoroughfare that will enable faculty and researchers to use real-time desktop communications in support of distance learning, desktop collaborations and telemedicine.