Free Clock Democratizes Atomic Accuracy

schliz writes "A new, trial network of software-based clocks could give data centers and networks the accuracy of an atomic clock for free. The so-called RADclock analyses information from multiple computers across the internet by collecting the time from each machine's internal quartz clock, the time it takes for this information to be transmitted across the network, and comparing all the information collected to determine a time that is most likely to be accurate, so machines are calibrated across the network with up to microsecond accuracy — as good as that provided by a $50,000 atomic clock, researchers say."

Comments

A solution in need of a problem?

[iserlohn]

NTP solved this ages ago by distributing atomic clock accuracy through the network.

The only problem this will solve is where it is a private network not connected to public NTP servers (or organizations that do not trust public NTP). In that case, they would most likely be able to afford a atomic clock.