March 10, 2014
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Merit Network, Inc. announced today the launch of its participation in the Internet2 NET+ Regional Partner Program. Merit Members now have the opportunity to purchase a diverse suite of IT services from leading brands at best-in-class pricing. Merit Network is the first Research and Education (R&E) Network to offer services as part of the Internet2 NET+ Regional Partner Program.
“I am proud to announce Merit Network’s pioneering role in the Internet2 NET+ Regional Partner Program. Merit is grateful for the opportunity to help shape this innovative program as we continue to work with Internet2 to make a broad portfolio of cloud services available to our community at discounted rates. This is a significant undertaking for Merit, and it will deliver considerable benefits for our Members,” said Don Welch, president and CEO, Merit Network.
Through the Internet2 NET+ Regional Partner Program, select Internet2 NET+ Services, which were previously only available at special pricing to Internet2 member institutions, are now available at discounts to Merit Members. Eventually, these services will be available to members of other participating R&E networks.
The NET+ Services available through the Regional Partner Program support the teaching, learning, research and operational needs of Merit Members. The following services are available today for Merit Member educational institutions:
These additional NET+ Internet2 services and targeted for future availability to Merit Members based on expressed interest include:
- Splunk
- Duracloud
- Office 365 Education
- Eduroam
- BlueJeans
- Globus
NET+ Services leverage the economies of scale found in a national organization like Internet2 to deliver cost savings for participating organizations at the state and local level. The NET+ Initiative strives to ensure that all NET+ Services are easily accessible and simple to administer. This is secured through national partnerships with special business terms. Services are turnkey ready, with pre-negotiated SLAs (service level agreements) that save participating institutions administrative time and resources.
“Merit has a long history of strong leadership in the regional community and is a great partner in the Internet2 NET+ program. We are thrilled to support them as the first regional network in the nation to make available the catalog of Internet2 NET+ services to their region’s colleges, schools, and other institutions,” said Shelton Waggener, senior vice president, Internet2. “We look forward to working with Merit to see the NET+ service offerings customized for educational use by the nation’s leading research universities benefiting Michigan organizations and other regional partners and campuses.”
With NET+ Services, institutions benefit from connections throughout the education and non-profit community for more efficient, effective solutions. Internet2 NET+ Services are identified, evaluated and vetted by Internet2 member institutions. Each service is backed by an advisory group made up of peer institutions that assist with service implementation, troubleshooting and provide ongoing support.
Merit Members interested in purchasing services through the Internet2 NET+ Regional Partner Program should contact a member of the Merit Sales Team. Send an email to [email protected] or call 734-527-5785.
About Merit Network
Merit Network Inc., is a nonprofit corporation owned and governed by Michigan’s public universities. Merit owns and operates America’s longest-running regional research and education network. In 1966, Michigan’s public universities created Merit as a shared resource to help meet their common need for networking assistance. Since its formation, Merit Network has remained at the forefront of research and education networking expertise and services. Merit provides high-performance networking and IT solutions to Michigan’s public universities, colleges, K-12 organizations, libraries, state government, healthcare, and other non-profit organizations.
For more information: www.merit.edu[meritmediacontact]
About Internet2
Internet2 is a member-owned advanced technology community founded by the nation’s leading higher education institutions in 1996. Internet2 provides a collaborative environment for U.S. research and education organizations to solve common technology challenges, and to develop innovative solutions in support of their educational, research, and community service missions.
Internet2 consists of more than 250 U.S. universities, 80 leading corporations, 70 affiliate members and government agencies, 39 regional and state education networks and more than 65 national research and education networking partners representing more than 100 countries. Internet2 offices are located in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Emeryville, Calif.; and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.internet2.edu or follow @Internet2 on Twitter.
Internet2 Media Contact:
Todd Sedmak
Phone: (202) 331-5373
Email: [email protected]