Merit selected at the MiCTA endorsed ISP for Michigan

[Jeff Ogden]

I am very happy to announce that Merit has been selected as the MiCTA
endorsed Internet Service Provider (ISP) for Michigan for the three year
period starting July 1, 1998. This continues the relationship between Merit
and MiCTA that started in the fall of 1995 when Merit first became MiCTA's
endorsed Internet Provider. The selection was made based on responses
received to a Request for Proposals (RFP) that MiCTA sent out about two
months ago. Some paperwork remains to be done before the new Merit/MiCTA
arrangement is official.

The Michigan ISP selection is just one part of a larger RFP evaluation for
a broad range of telecommunication services (not just Internet services)
that MiCTA is doing for organizations both in and outside of Michgian. That
larger effort is not yet complete. MiCTA may endorse or approve other ISPs
for national service or service in other states.

No action on the part of organizations that get services under the existing
Merit/MiCTA arrangement is required at this time since the current
Merit/MiCTA arrangement runs through at least the end of 1998 (longer for
some specific multi-year contracts). Prices for the existing and new
agreements are similar. The new agreement between Merit and MiCTA will
cover a broader range of services (dial-in, Web hosting, training, server
configuration, NOC services, ...) then the existing agreement (which only
covered dedicated attachments). All organizations that have exsting
agreements under the Merit/MiCTA arrangement will have the option of
continuing with the existing agreement and prices through the end of their
current contract terms or switching to the new Merit/MiCTA agreement once
it is finalized.

  -Jeff Ogden
   Merit