A new era in grid computing communications debuted on 1 May 2008 with the launch of GridTalk, an innovative EU project that will create a unified and cohesive approach to European grid communications. In addition to a new mission dedicated to deciphering grid policy, GridTalk will contribute to the growth of rapidly expanding online newsletter International Science Grid This Week and revamp the widely acclaimed GridCafé, a website produced in 2003 and nominated for Pirelli International and Webby awards. Sarah Pearce, GridTalk project manager, says this coordinated approach is essential to the ongoing success of European grid computing efforts. “The impact of grids has rapidly expanded beyond that which can be disseminated by individual groups,” Pearce said. “Grid initiatives across Europe are contributing to new scientific results and changing the way science is done. The GridTalk team will co-ordinate the communication of these results, ensuring that grid-enabled scientific successes are reported widely in print and online.” Like grid computing itself, GridTalk combines the resources of several distributed partners: Queen Mary University of London in the UK, CERN in Switzerland, and APO, a web design company based in France. And like grid computing, GridTalk will reach out to distributed audiences, benefiting scientists and the public as well as those in government and industry. “Ordinary people are benefiting from grid-enabled discoveries in health, chemistry, biology and more,” said Pearce. “GridTalk will show this human face of grid computing. We’re going to put grid computing firmly in the spotlight, showcasing the behind-the-scenes computing that is making these new discoveries possible.” As well as outreach across Europe, GridTalk will co-ordinate activities with international partners, both in areas with well-established grid infrastructures such as the U.S., and in developing areas such as Latin America and Asia. International Science Grid This Week, which is co-funded with Open Science Grid in the U.S., has already started this process.