Merit’s mission is “connecting organizations and building community.” We provide network, security and community services to member organizations that help make our society a better place to learn, discover, work and live – while upholding the principles of an open internet.
Under the Community pillar, Merit fosters an ecosystem of collaboration and engagement. We provide opportunities for our members to learn from state and local subject matter experts through events, communities of practice and other community services.
Our Communities of Practice provide opportunities for networking, sharing industry best practices and professional development. These groups meet quarterly, with options for remote participation.
Membership in our Communities of Practice is limited to professional staff at Merit Member organizations.
Merit hosts these communities of practice including groups for cybersecurity, networking, IT and esports.
- Licensing: From virtual infrastructure to online collaboration, Merit has negotiated on behalf of our Members for reduced pricing on the tools and applications you need to run your business.
- Merit Voice: Merit Voice is an affordable voice over IP (VOIP) service for any size organization.
- Professional Services: Our professional services team can provide consulting and assistance in research projects, advanced networking endeavors, security, traffic assessments, optimization and more.
- MCAP: For Member organizations who need extra staff or other resources to assist in business continuity/disaster recovery events, MCAP is a vehicle through which participants have access to pre-vetted personnel and documentation pledged by the Community.
- Scholarships: Through the funding of the Merit Community Supporter program, Merit offers scholarships to cover some fees associated with Cyber Education and Training courses for Merit Members who would otherwise be unable to attend.
The Merit Community Supporter program forms a bridge between the Merit community and select organizations.