The new year is underway and already there is a lot going on. I’m going to order this edition’s content based on how soon the deadline is approaching and how urgent it is for your attention.

Three Alarm

Kion Infoshare

Over the past year we have been hearing from schools in the higher education cloud community that they are looking for some help sorting through the plethora of 3rd-party tools swirling around the cloud infrastructure space. The top needs expressed were:


  1. account automation and maintenance
  2. security monitoring and remediation
  3. cost tracking management and savings 

One product specifically suggested and already being piloted by a few schools is Kion (formerly known as cloudtamer.io). We asked Kion to show the community around their tools and answer your questions. 

Research Innovators Program

Google Cloud is committed to supporting researchers across the globe who are solving complex challenges. As part of our efforts, we are relaunching the Google Cloud Research Innovators program. Applications are open until January 14th, 2022. To apply, please fill out this short form. For additional information about eligibility for the program, please visit the Research Innovators overview.


Two Alarm

Funding opportunity from NSF + Google

For the second year in a row, Google has partnered with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to offer cloud funding and training through CISE-MSI solicitation 22-518. The CISE-MSI program offers $7M in funding for PIs at Minority-Serving Institutions (see list here). Applicants who request funding for Google Cloud via NSF 22-518 are eligible for a 50% match in cloud funds from Google, expanding their total possible NSF award amount by the matched number. Awardees will also gain access to free, live, instructor-led workshops and classroom tools from Google Cloud. Applications are due February 11th, and details for how to apply can be found in the solicitation documentation.

Program Satisfaction Survey

One of the vital roles of the NET+ team is to bring the community together, making and sharing opportunities to learn from each other and from the cloud vendors. NET+ Program Development Manager Tara Gyenis has put together a brief survey to get your take on how well we are doing with community engagement. We also want your feedback on vendor (GCP) and resellers’ performance. The survey is designed to get input from everyone from the cloud team to procurement to management. We ask that you share it with others at your institution. Please respond by January 31, 2022.



Speaking of engagement…

One of our most powerful engagement tools are our meetings. Yeah, yeah, I know, meetings… But no, seriously. When we bring you, the members of the community together, magic happens. The sharing of challenges, successes, approaches, obstacles, plans, etc. sparks some of the best conversations and most productive networking and collaboration. 

We are sprucing up the NET+ GCP engagement calendar for 2022. Here’s what we have planned. Calendar invitations to come out soon.


    • NET+ GCP Technology – We are going to spin up something new for the NET+ GCP program that has already been very successful in the NET+ AWS program – regular “open mic” technical discussions. These calls are for your GCP architects, admins, etc. to discuss technical questions and challenges you might encounter when managing Google Cloud at your institutions. We’ll share the questions, answers, lessons learned and challenges that remain. (monthly to start)
  • NET+ GCP Subscribers – By adding the technical call, the Subscribers meeting will be able to focus more on strategic discussion. The target audience will be the cloud managers, infrastructure directors, etc. who drive cloud enablement and infrastructure stategy. Twice over the course of the year we’ll ask you to invite your leadership and we’ll invite GCP and Google Edu leadership to attend as well. (quarterly)
  • NET+ GCP Town Halls – We will bring the community together to learn from Google (or other presenter/panel) about a big picture topic/approach/strategy/trend. Attendees come away from these sessions with greater understanding of the topic and how they might take advantage of this knowledge within their institution, where to go to learn more, etc. Community interest will drive the topics. If you have ideas, please send them to bflynn@internet2.edu. 

We will be sending calendar invitations to all of these to the NET+ contacts we have. Please accept the invitations for the meetings that interest you and decline the rest. And please do forward them on to others in your organization for whom they may be appropriate. 

Make a difference in your community. Join the NET+ GCP SAB


While NET+ Cloud IPS Manager Bob Flynn provides the staff time to address program mechanics and keep things running, it is the NET+ GCP Service Advisory Board (SAB) that provides the leadership and guidance to move the program forward. We are seeking new voices, new schools and new perspectives on the SAB. Make 2022 the year you get more involved in this community. Help make a difference to schools all across the country. Submit your name to be on the NET+ GCP SAB by emailing netplus@internet2.edu. 


One Alarm

ICYMI – For higher education community, choosing Google Workspace for Education is a team effort 

GCP administrators have always had to be cognizant of the connection between GCP and Google Workspace. Increasingly Google Workspace users are leveraging GCP in both subtle and sophisticated ways. In a nod toward keeping your GCP teams abreast of developments with Google Workplace for Education, I recommend this blog post by Steven Butschi, Head of Education for Google. It recounts the hard work done by many of you in this community to bring Google to the table to work out a path to grow with Google’s cloud and productivity platforms.

Credits

The images in this newsletter come from a variety of sources. Credit where credit is due.

Requests?

Do you have ideas or requests for a future newsletter or engagement event? Email bflynn@internet2.edu