New Services! We continue to bring you new service offerings. The most recent addition to the NET+ services portfolio is Globus. The NET+ Globus service offering enables users to choose from a set of customizable subscription bundles that include all Globus premium features, along with a variety of storage connectors. Institutions can use these products to manage data on diverse cloud storage systems and to migrate between cloud storage systems. The addition of Globus to the NET+ portfolio will connect researchers and enable trusted collaboration. Another recent addition to the portfolio is Pathify. NET+ Pathify provides a cutting-edge student portal solution designed to streamline and personalize the digital experience for students, faculty, and staff in higher education institutions. Check out the recording from our recent webinar introducing the service.
New Community Resource! Late last year, we also rolled out a new and improved Internet2 Cloud Scorecard website for public preview. We know there are lots of cloud services out there, and it’s helpful to have a central hub where you can learn more about how they meet the specific needs of R&E. Be on the lookout for a full website launch with additional features planned in the coming months.
New Skills Workshops! For those looking to enhance their cloud skills, we launched CLASS training events this month and will offer more throughout this year. These workshops and courses cover essential topics like cloud security, AI, and cloud networking. If you have any questions about our services or training in 2025, please reach out to us at netplus@internet2.edu.
We begin 2025 with an attitude of gratitude. Thank you for continuing to be a part of the NET+ community. Furthering our mission is only possible because of dedicated NET+ community volunteers. This year we will continue our series of blog posts highlighting Cloud Superheroes, individuals who have made significant contributions to moving our work forward and facilitating community. Check out our latest interview with Matthew D’Emilio. (You can be a superhero too! See the next two sections for ways to get involved.) We start the new year ready to take full advantage of the opportunities it brings to further our mission to provide the best cloud services to research and education. Read on to learn more about what makes this new year a very happy one.
We cannot complete our mission without you and the collective wisdom of your peers. The inaugural meeting of our new Vendor Management Community of Practice (VM CoP) will be on January 28 from 1-2 p.m. ET. Email vm-cop@internet2.edu for Zoom meeting information.
Sponsored by Internet2, the VM CoP connects like-minded professionals to share ideas and resources and explore strategies for effectively managing IT vendors. During this first meeting, you will help shape the direction of the VM CoP, propose topics for discussion, and get access to tools and resources. All IT vendor management, procurement, sourcing, and contract practitioners are invited to join. Interested in joining? Complete the interest form.
Several NET+ Working Groups, Service Evaluations, and Advisory Boards are open for participation. Check out this listing of all the opportunities to get involved in shaping the future of the cloud in R&E.
We value your feedback on new capabilities and services for the NET+ portfolio. Several NET+ candidate services are currently under evaluation, including:
- an AI Gateway Service, to provide higher education institutions with centralized access to leading AI models while maintaining institutional control over usage, costs, and security policies.
- Neutral Host Networks, to expand the range of flexible, high-performance networking options available to the higher education and research communities through NET+. Kajeet has been selected through an RFP process and is completing service evaluation. Learn more about the evaluation.
- Captioning and transcription services from NET+ Echo Labs, which aligns with ongoing efforts to enhance the accessibility of services used in higher education.
- NET+ Third-Party Risk Management RFP, which several campuses are reviewing and scoring.
If you have questions about any of these efforts or if there’s a service you would like for us to consider adding to the portfolio, please contact us.
Maximize the Business Value of the Cloud with FinOps
FinOps is an operational framework and cultural practice which maximizes the business value of cloud. If you haven’t begun to adopt FinOps practices, would you like to get started. If you have, what more can you do? Members of the cloud community are hosting a virtual conference, FinOps for the R&E Community: A Virtual Conference, on Thursday, January 23 from 1-5 pm ET with sessions covering the basics of FinOps, understanding cloud cost and usage, quantifying business value, and optimizing cloud usage and cost as well as managing the FinOps practice.Join a group of community peers who see the value of FinOps to learn just how they are learning and implementing these lessons. Register now.
Kick Off the New Year in CLASS with Cloud Workshops