We've compiled a list of questions about the NET+ program frequently asked by legal, procurement, and vendor management professionals.
The Basics
Q: How do we know if we’re eligible for a service/program?
A: While all of our NET+ services are available to all direct Higher Education members, some NET+ services are also available to other member categories and/or non-members. To determine the eligibility requirements for a particular NET+ service, please contact netplus@internet2.edu.
Q: Are the services available through NET+ the same as those available directly from the Service Provider?
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A: While the basic features and functionality of services offered from the Service Provider under the same title are equivalent, some NET+ offerings include additional features, benefits, or unique bundles from the Service Provider that enhance the value of the NET+ offering. |
Q: Are there any other fees required for NET+ services outside of the service subscription fees?
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A: The requirement or rate of the fee(s) may differ depending on Internet2 membership status and service. Please contact netplus@internet2.edu for specifics on your program of interest. |
Q: How is the work of NET+ funded?
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A: NET+ programs are funded via a facilitation fee from the service provider each time an institution enrolls in the program. In addition, the AWS program is funded via the access fee paid by the institution to support the cost of providing that program. Organizations that are not members of Internet2 may pay additional fees. |
The Benefits
Q: In addition to the pricing and contract terms included in a NET+ program, what are the other value-added benefits?
A: NET+ programs provide various community resources and collaboration opportunities that may include a NET+ Service Advisory Board, Newsletters, Community Forums, Collaboration Spaces, Subscriber Meetings, Best Practices, Townhalls, Webinars, and Whitepapers, etc. The value-added benefits for each NET+ program are tailored to meet the needs of that particular community, including network peering and InCommon federated identity. You can find benefit details for each service by visiting the NET+ Program Community wiki.
Q: My campus can get a better agreement than NET+. Why would I use the NET+ agreement?
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A: In some cases, individual institutions may negotiate lower pricing, but NET+ agreements include terms tailored for research and higher education that can reduce the overall cost of adoption. Our programs also support community engagement and provide a collective voice to the Service Provider. Please contact us if you would like to compare your existing contract with a NET+ contract. |
Q: If our campus is already subscribed to the service directly from the Service Provider, how would we benefit by switching to the NET+ program?
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A: NET+ service programs provide opportunities for subscribers to connect with their peers, build community with other research and higher education members, and leverage the collective scale and buying power of Internet2’s members. By signing up for NET+ programs, you become part of the NET+ community actively engaging with the Service Provider, supporting the NET+ engagement, and most importantly showing the Service Provider that your campus supports the community requirements. |
The Agreements
Q: How are NET+ agreements negotiated?
A: Each NET+ service went through the Service Evaluation process to become part of the catalog. These agreements have been reviewed and enhanced over the past 9+ years and will continue to be, as the landscape of cloud services continues to evolve. The Customer Agreement, which are the terms and conditions for subscribers, was negotiated by community experts while the terms and conditions for delivering a particular service/program were negotiated by Internet2 with advice from the community. Additional information is available about NET+ agreement types.
Q: Have the contracts for NET+ services been competitively bid?
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A: NET+ services are established via negotiated contracts with the Service Provider and are not subject to competitive bid. Institutions that require an RFP process are encouraged to include language asking for NET+ or collaborative pricing in their requirements. Some NET+ programs have resellers or distributors that can be included in the RFP process. |
Q: Why aren’t NET+ contracts awarded through a competitive bidding process?
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A: NET+ focuses on identifying services that meet the technical needs of the Research and Education community. You may review the criteria for adding a service to the NET+ portfolio here. NET+ contracts ensure services continue with important standards. Organizations may issue an RFP for NET+ services or leverage a collaborative RFP issued by another organization. |
Q: Why does Internet2 ask for the use of our institution’s name and logo in the NET+ Customer Agreement?
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A: One of the key goals of the Internet2 NET+ program is to foster collaboration among member institutions using various cloud services. We use institutions names and logos to create lists for subscribers, advisory boards, and presentations, etc., so that peer institutions can contact each other when evaluating or leveraging a service. NET+ agreements impose restrictions on the Service Provider’s use of logos. |
Q: Can you provide a Word version of the Customer Agreement so that we can make modifications?
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A: Yes, we can provide that for you; however, please be aware that the Customer Agreement was evaluated and negotiated by a group of peer institutions through the Service Evaluation process. As such, and to treat all Internet2 members fairly and equally, we can only negotiate redlines to the agreement if there are required state laws not already present in the agreement. Only redlines with cited state laws will be reviewed. |
Q: Can you provide a copy of the agreement between the Service Provider and Internet2?
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A: Yes, we can provide a redacted version of the Facilitation Agreement that does not disclose the financial arrangement between the two parties but will provide terms that the Service Provider has committed to, such as longer term pricing; engagement with a NET+ Service Advisory Board, product roadmaps, and commitment to use other community enabling technologies. |
Q: In our review, it looks like the agreement between Internet2 and the Service Provider will expire before the end of our Customer Agreement. What happens then?
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A: The agreement with the Service Provider and the Customer Agreement were written to ensure the Customer Agreement survives, with all applicable terms and conditions, through the end of the customer’s then-current service term. If the agreement with the Service Provider is not amended or updated, you will likely need to renegotiate directly with the Service Provider at the end of your service term. |