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NEW and Merit Network Announce Partnership
Nonprofits throughout Southeast Michigan to Benefit
May 11, 2009
ANN ARBOR - npServ, a program of NEW (Nonprofit Enterprise at Work), and Merit Network, Inc. have reached a partnership agreement allowing npServ to act as a reseller of MeritMail email services to nonprofit organizations. MeritMail is a web-based email and collaboration suite that is mobile-friendly and supports group calendars. Nonprofits utilizing MeritMail are able to access their email via any Internet connection using the dynamic MeritMail web client or by using popular desktop email clients, such as Outlook Express and Thunderbird.
"We chose MeritMail so that nonprofits could be more effective in managing their communications and business processes. Merit has experience working with email installations for large institutions that have seen the benefits of using an email solution that promotes collaboration." Stated Linh Song, Director of npServ.
"We're pleased to work with NEW in providing the same functionalities with small- to medium-sized nonprofits, especially since both organizations are based in southeast Michigan," commented Rob Golden, Merit's Vice President, Research and Development.
Wayne State University, Eastern Michigan University, Michigan Technological University, and many others use the MeritMail Collaboration Suite. MeritMail's dynamic features are powered by Zimbra, a Yahoo! Company that has created open-source messaging tools.
Many nonprofit organizations utilize free email services, which may not be HIPAA compliant. The partnership between npServ and Merit Network is even more attractive to nonprofits because it includes access to two tiers of technical support. npServ and Merit provide unlimited technical support and backup.
"We currently offer web-based email for all of our clients and were impressed by MeritMail. The shared calendar can be used to manage staff schedules as well as volunteer schedules. But what motivated us even more was Merit's support and knowing that this email solution is absolutely HIPAA compliant. Nonprofits often serve at-risk communities and there are definitely liability issues to consider," stated Linh Song, Director of npServ.
"Merit has an outstanding reputation as a service provider," commented Song, "We are excited about this partnership, which enables us to provide cost-effective and reliable email services to the nonprofit community."
About NEW
NEW is a 501(c)(3) management support organization serving southeast Michigan from offices in Detroit and Ann Arbor. NEW's mission is to help nonprofits succeed by strengthening nonprofit management and offering solutions to issues facing the nonprofit community. Since its founding in 1993, NEW has developed and delivered programming to meet the changing needs of nonprofits, helping them fulfill their missions and better serve the community. NEW currently offers four programs: BoardConnect - board matching, training, consulting, and online resources; npServ -shared IT, administration, and specialized staffing services for nonprofits; ResourceConnect - personalized helpline, information, and resource referral for nonprofit management questions; and the NEW Center - a multi-tenant nonprofit facility with infrastructure and service offerings for tenants. These programs are delivered by NEW in southeast Michigan with BoardConnect also licensed to local service providers in western Michigan, the Upper Peninsula, and North Carolina. For more information, please visit www.new.org.
About Merit Network
Merit Network, Inc. is a nonprofit, member-owned organization formed in 1966 to design and implement a computer network between public universities in Michigan. After 40 years of innovation, Merit continues to provide high-performance networking and services to the research and education communities in Michigan and beyond.
Merit continues to leverage its experience managing NSFNet, the precursor to the modern Internet, to catapult Michigan into the forefront of networking technologies. Merit has implemented a 10 Gbps backbone and is in the process of implementing it across Michigan to continue to provide a flexible, robust architecture to support the research and education needs. The 10 Gbps backbone network is completely self-funded. Merit received no legislative dollars to support the effort.
Merit believes in the strength of a robust educational community. By connecting organizations, building relationships and sharing services, educational institutions can achieve far more together than they can alone.
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