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TERENA has published 'The Case for NRENs', a document that draws together evidence and arguments supporting Europe's national research and education networks (NRENs) and the 'special status' that they enjoy in many countries. TERENA’s Business and Technology Strategist John Dyer gives the author's perspective:
"Partly because of their success in servicing their growing research and education communities, many European NRENs have achieved a size and visibility that was unimagined twenty years ago. However, even though public visibility can aid further success by helping to encourage uptake of services, it also brings new challenges that have to be addressed. During the past few years, Europe’s NRENs have been reflecting on the challenges and considering the best way to ensure that they can continue to provide relevant support to their users.
While there is a general perception that NRENs are special, the ‘Case for NRENs’ explores the nature of this ‘special status’ and shows that in most cases NRENs provide services and support unavailable elsewhere. It points out that the majority of European NRENs share common characteristics: they are not-for-profit organisations that provide advanced services to a well-defined community.
During the past year, many members of the European research and education networking community, and some people from further afield, contributed their time and thoughts to the development of this document.
The major lesson I drew from this study is that the sense of community, ownership and solidarity that has driven NREN innovation for more than 20 years is a priceless asset. It is important that we retain this unique spirit if research and education users are to continue to benefit from cutting edge networks that enable them to become world leaders in their fields."
The full document (pdf) is available for download from the TERENA publications web page.