The Internet2 cloud services program is an opportunity for academic and industry members to design specially tailored cloud-based services and software to the research and higher education community in a cost-effective manner. As part of the program, Internet2 has established “Service Advisory Boards” to represent and advise the higher education community in working with each provider on the service it offers. Institutions participating on a Service Advisory Board may benefit in a number of ways including (1) receiving additional discounts or features on NET+ Service(s) relating to the Service Advisory Board(s) on which they serve; (2) participating on a “roadmap” team (under a non-disclosure agreement) that will help outline and prioritize critical service feature requests; and (3) advancing the use of cloud-based services and software to benefit the entire research and education community.
Purpose and Length of Commitment:
- Representatives will work with Internet2 and the Service Provider to assess the Service being offered, examine its deployment and usage among all participating institutions, determine its ongoing value and applicability to the Internet2 community and evaluate any proposed changes to the Service or the agreement.
- The expected time commitment is approximately 5 hours per month. Additional projects or initiatives, as described below, may require additional hours.
- Two-year renewable commitment (that may be ended early at either Internet2 or the participating institution’s discretion upon notice to the other party.)
Expected Activities for Participating Institutions:
- Work with the assigned Internet2 NET+ Program Manager on all activities.
- Provide input about the institution’s usage of the Service for documents, white papers, wikis, and blogs.
- Allow the institution to be referenced as a Service Advisory Board Member and participate in webcasts and meetings with other institutions interested in the Service.
- Designate a representative to participate in periodic face-to-face “roadmap” meetings and Service Advisory Board calls. “Roadmap” meetings will be organized with Internet2 NET+ staff and the Service Provider to discuss progress with the Service in general availability; to provide feedback on strategic issues including the Service approach, deployment strategy, and Service Provider/institution relationship; and to ensure that all institutions deploying the Service have access to the materials needed for their success.
- Advocate for and prioritize bug fixes, feature/functionality enhancements, and other issues of concern to all participating institutions.
- Serve as subject matter experts for program participants by participating in online communities of practice (forums, mailing lists, ext.) and documenting best practices for the Service.
- Assign representatives for specialized sub-teams (Functional, Integration (technical), Security, Contract and Business Terms, and Support), as needed, to support the ongoing stewardship of the service. Such representatives, in collaboration with the NET+ Program Manager, shall ensure Service is meeting community standards for Network, Identity, Security, Accessibility, and other relevant areas. The institution’s designated most appropriate senior executive (CIO, VC/VP Research, Provost, etc.) may join “roadmap” meetings from time to time and be available as a reference for other senior executives at peer institutions interested in the Service.