Catching Up on the Cloud: Winter 2026

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Internet2 NET+ and Other Cloud Program Updates

Gather Around the Fire: New Year, Same Commitment to You

As we begin 2026, higher education has clearly crossed a technology threshold. Emerging institutional needs and the technologies that support them have demonstrated the central role that cloud computing plays in enabling value for research and education. Our collective efforts will continue this year as our team collaborates with you on  building and leveraging the NET+ Program portfolio of services.

So what’s next? We’re pleased to share that NET+ has initiated a new service evaluation for Claude for Education. You can learn more here. NET+ has also released a request for proposal for an identity proofing service that enables institutions to meet federal compliance requirements for NIH research data access while addressing broader campus needs for secure, scalable identity proofing. Read more about it.

We recognize how hard you’re working to help your institutions  harness the benefits of the cloud. We’re right there with you providing the resources and support you need to navigate tough decisions and deliver  value. This year will bring both opportunities and obstacles. As you negotiate them,  the value of our collective energy and insight has never been more evident. As Cloud Superhero Josh Callan observed, “We are all in this together, facing the same threats, managing the same vendor risks, and working under a lot of the same limitations…we have this community, and we all talk to each other.”

In 2026, let’s keep engaging across institutions to leverage our collective cloud expertise. It’s this free exchange of ideas and experiences that builds a workforce multiplier making all of us stronger and more adaptable to change. Interestingly, this month we are entering the year of the fire horse, which according to Chinese astrology, is characterized by a drive for progress and considered a time for breaking old patterns and initiating major changes. Sound familiar? Your NET+ team stands ready to help you make the most of this moment. We hope you’ll take full advantage of the value you get from letting us do some of the legwork for you. 

To that end, recently, we shared Five Themes That Defined Cloud Infrastructure in Higher Education last year. What follows are some other important initiatives that we want to highlight. 

Secure Your Research with CLASS

The CLASS program has launched an extensive Secure Research Environments Series, featuring experts from across the regulated research community. 

With content for CIOs, research leaders, architects, and developers, this three-phase webinar and workshop series is designed to inform and empower your entire institution.

Get the tools you need to effectively plan and execute a comprehensive strategy for leveraging the cloud for secure and compliant research, from NIST 800-171 to Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).

Check back for our upcoming lineup of Cloud Learning and Skills Sessions. If you have any questions about our upcoming sessions, contact us.

All In on AI 

Last year, institutions demonstrated practical AI deployments that strengthened campus communities. The NET+ team has been active in bringing the community together to share use cases and learn more about this ever evolving technology. Here are some examples:

• A Google Cloud Platform Town Hall highlighting Gemini Enterprise (Access the recording.)  
• Our AI Working Group (Check out the recording from January’s meeting.)
• The Internet2 NET+ Google AI Education Leadership Program (Visit the program website or watch the kickoff webinar.)

Through these initiatives and others, we’ve learned that institutions with clear use cases, strong governance, and the willingness to learn from peers are poised for success with AI. As I observed during a recent podcast interview, for AI to support real learning and innovation, R&E institutions must pair governance with enablement, giving people permission (and resources) to experiment responsibly.

New and Next

2026 Cloud Forum Registration Opens Feb. 16

The Cloud Forum is the premier gathering for strategic conversations about the use of hyperscale technologies in the research and education community. The 2026 Cloud Forum, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Madison, runs from May 19-21. Registration is free, but limited to three seats per institution.

Still Keeping Score

Check out the new Internet2 Cloud Scorecard Finder website.

Here are the new Internet2 Cloud Scorecard participants in the past quarter:

• Prediction Guard
• Trinka AI
• CampusIQ
• 1KOSMOS
• CDX Data

If there is a cloud service you would like to see listed, please reach out to us with your suggestion(s).

Spotlight on NET+ Service Providers 

We’re pleased to continue inviting NET+ service providers to share articles, blog posts, webinars, or other content relevant to cloud practitioners in the R&E community. Take a look at the resources they shared this quarter:

• Docusign –  Supporting agreement management across campus: Docusign’s Intelligent Agreement Management capabilities illustrate how NET+ service providers support institutions in managing agreements across their lifecycle while improving visibility and operational consistency. Learn more here. (Join us at our annual customer event, MOMENTUM 2026 in NYC! May 20-21, 2026.)
• Google – Educating students about AI: Google AI for Education Accelerator is an initiative offering free AI training and Google career certificates to every college student in America. Over 100 public universities have already signed up.
• Globus –  Getting unified access to all your data: Do you want access to all your research data no matter where it lives? Watch our introductory video on Globus and NET+, and learn how you can accelerate your research and discovery.
• Kion –  Understanding the evolution of FinOpps: In Kion’s AWS re:Invent Lightning Talk, Tatum Tummins introduces FinOps+ and walks through how teams can move faster with more control by combining automated governance to prevent waste before it happens, reducing manual work, and AI-driven FinOps for smarter, faster decisions.
• Portkey – Gaining institutional AI sovereignty: Learn how peers in Europe are leveraging a governed AI Gateway architecture to gain institutional AI sovereignty across multiple platforms with fair access, transparent risks, controlled costs, and compliance alignment in this recent white paper.

This is a regular feature in our quarterly newsletter, so be sure to keep an eye out for it!

Keep Up With the Cloud

As always, we welcome your ideas and appreciate your contributions to our cloud programs! Interested in participating in one or more NET+ service evaluations? Or have feedback for other prospective services for the program? Don’t know where to start? Email cloud@internet2.edu.

Want to catch up with us in real life, not just in the cloud? Check out some of the places we will be.

Catching Up on the Cloud brings you all the latest Internet2 cloud updates. Whether you’re supporting the academic enterprise, research domain, or anything in between, these timely announcements and updates will help you with the best solutions for implementing cloud services at your institution.