TNC 2013, Maastricht
Dr. Andreas Dudler, SWITCH
Chair Reykjavik Group
[email protected]
www.terena.org
Making the future happen
Some remarks from the perspective of the
Reykjavik-Group Chair
full report:
www.terena.org/about/ga/ga38/GA(12)020-Reykjavik.pdf
Mandate of the Reykjavik-Group
› The task of the committee is to formulate a
response from the European research
networking community to the report of the
GEANT Expert Group.
› In October 2012 the mandate of the Reykjavik
Group was extended to provide guidance to
TERENA and DANTE in their joint task of
proposing a solution for the governance of
R&E networking in Europe.
› The committee is expected to cease to exist
immediately after all relevant parties have
approved the joint proposal.
Slide 2
Common challenges for the NRENS
1. Involve the users, user have a choice, deliver
value
2. Stay innovative, stay focused on the value
proposition
3. Addressing the Digital Divide
4. Sustainability
5. Organisation and governance for the European
R&E networking community
Slide 3
Keep the users, user have a choice,
deliver value
› The network infrastructure and the services
provided by GÉANT an the NREN’s must be the
infrastructure and services of choice by the
research communities. Users should be the
biggest advocates.
› In order to keep their users GÉANT and the
NREN’s needs to leverage on its unique value
proposition, the interaction with the users and
the ability to provide services that address the
specific needs of the research communities. These
characteristics are more important, and unique,
than a simple competition with the industry on
price/performance
Slide 4
Stay innovative, stay focused on
the value proposition
› Europe faces increasing global competition and
this is a key challenge also for R&E networking. In
Europe we have to collaborate and compete
with China and the US.
› Innovation, appropriately funded, is an essential
component of competitiveness. NRENs and GÉANT
need to do what the commercial sector does
not do.
› The community focus is an essential element of
the value proposition of NRENs. This requires a
clear strategy based on understanding the
market place and its different types of users.
Users should drive innovation.
Slide 5
Addressing the Digital Divide
› NRENs across Europe connect to the GÉANT
network at different speeds, operate different
services based on different infrastructures, and
are also bound by different policies and funding
models.
› The Reykjavik Group finds that enabling
innovation will not increase the divide,
provided knowledge is shared and it argues
that the community must accept the existence of
the digital divide and leverage the individual
strengths and the resources of all NRENs, for the
benefit of all of Europe in the global competition
Slide 6
Sustainability
› NRENs need a proper and sustainable businessmodel. Two main aspects must be considered:
› the current local regulatory, legal and political framework
› the financial and funding possibilities on the other side.
› Specific business models for an NREN may be very
different from country to country. Nevertheless,
elaboration of a general NREN business model is
recommended, where the above constraints are
parameters.
› Find a balance between funding of services by users and
central funding for e-infrastructures
› Special EC-funding for innovation, digital divide and new
projects
› Increased financial autonomy for the NREN community
Slide 7
Organisation and governance for the European R&E
networking community
Make it as simple as possible
› There is a need for a single umbrella
organisation responsible for community
building, strategy formulation and policy
making. This includes responding to users needs
and requirements as well as ensuring
collaboration with other e-infrastructure such as
PRACE, EGI etc.
› This umbrella organisation must have an “allinclusive” form, so that every NREN has the
possibility to join. It should be capable of
including other e-infrastructures
›
Slide 8
Organisation and governance for the European R&E
networking community
Need a clear responsibility for
strategy an policy
› The umbrella organisation shall have the
responsibility for setting policies and decide
and enforce the split of work between the
different players in the community.
› We must clearly distinguish between the
governance of the umbrella organisation, the
governance of individual projects, including the
GÉANT project and the governance of running
services, by using appropriate bodies for each
Slide 9
Main Proposal of the ReykjavikGroup
› The General Assembly of TERENA should reconsider
organisation and governance of R&E Networking in Europe.
› The Reykjavik Group proposes that TERENA and DANTE
come together with a joint proposition for an umbrella
organisation with the input of NRENs through advice from
the Reykjavik Group or another similar body as decided by
the General Assembly.
› The first report should be prepared by the boards of
TERENA and DANTE by end of December 2012. The report
should define the overall process and the timeline,
including consultation and decision making, with the aim
of starting implementation by the end of 2013
Slide 10