The Virtual Institute of Information was developed by the Columbia Institute for Tele-Information (CITI), an independent Columbia University research center. The aim of the Virtual Institute of Information is to serve as a source of information for researchers interested in the "economic, business, policy and social aspects of telecommunications, cybercommunications and mass media." Resources available at the site include a searchable database of papers, commentary on the Federal Communication Commission's role in implementing the Telecommunications Act of 1996, and the latest communications news.