Introducing SURFnet to CAUDIT Walter van Dijk Head Account Advising Department 6 October 2006

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 2 Agenda  General introduction to SURFnet - Ambitions - Innovation projects - Service portfolio  Lifecycle- and portfolio-management

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 3 Introducing SURFnet  Dutch NREN  Not for profit organization, 60 employees  100% ownership: SURF Foundation  130 institutions connect 210 locations, end-users  Business-model:  Innovation by project subsidies (14 Meuro)  Operations by tariffs from institutions (18 Meuro)

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 4 “A family business” Operates and innovates a research-network Grants licenses for ICT products (prim. software) Cooperative organization for ICT in HE & Research

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 5 The SURFnet organization Two “outlets”: Account Advising & Community Support Three “factories”: Network-, Middleware- & Advanced Services

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 6 Ambitions  Connecting Dutch research- and higher-education institutes to a world-class network-infrastructure  Delivering innovative high-end internet-based services to higher-education and research in NL  Intensive use of services by a broad range of functional users (security officers, researchers, teaching staff etc.)  Operational excellence in service-provisioning

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 7 Innovation organized in three projects  Network  GigaPort Next Generation Network - Partnership with Industry (8M/year)  International - EC funding (2M/year)  Other services  SURFworks NG - service development wholesale services (2M/year)  SURFnet/Kennisnet project - service development end-user services (2M/year)

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 8 Service portfolio  Network-connectivity - 1 and 10G IP and 1 and 10G lightpaths  Security services - CERT, Advisories, MailFilter, IDS, AIRT, PACT  Authentication services - Federation, eduroam, SCS  Streaming services - Video portal, live streaming services  Group communication services - SURFgroepen (on-line collaboration) 

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 9 Lifecycle- and portfolio management  Ratio for LCPM within SURFnet  The LCPM process  User Survey

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 10 Definitions of LCM and PM: Lifecycle management manages the process in which a concept evolves into a new service, including the ensuing production phase and the phase in which a service is closed down Portfolio management is managing the process that should result in a well-balanced and well- aligned set of services, offered to the connected institutions

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 11 Ratio for LCPM within SURFnet  Average NREN customer-base (universities and research-institutions) is becoming more critical towards the NREN service portfolio  Logical development now that: - (high-speed) connectivity and associated services are “mission-critical” for a growing number of users and - commercial ISP’s are closing the gap (financial, technological, services) with NREN’s  Hence: NREN service portfolio should align with existing and future customer requirements!

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 12 But, we face… … a serious obstacle since service-development within NRENs has traditionally been public funded and hence a technology push orientation is not uncommon … a serious threat since a demand-pull orientation would probably not stimulate innovation and would therefore result in a lack of differentiation with commercial ISPs … a second threat considering that a focus on innovation and technology is the “raison d’être” for NRENs from the perspective of funding bodies

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 13 Hence, a model is needed that:  avoids the pitfalls of a “demand pull” orientation  avoids the pitfalls of a “technology push” orientation  allows for input and feedback from customers at the various stages of service development  preserves the valuable orientation on innovation and technology within NRENs

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 14 Life-cycle model Funding from Innovation projects Funding from exploitation Service developm ent Pro duct ion Phase-out Techn ology scouting User Survey 6 Impact Analysis studies Stimulatin g use & Support 1 Technology- development Customer requirements

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 15 User Survey (new style)  Extensive research (quantitative & qualitative)  Yearly  Culmination at “Synthesis meeting”

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 16 Individual end-users Special interest groups Institutionsinterviewssynthesis interviews focus- groups synthesis Online survey Online survey conclusions Qualitative Quantitative MarchAprilMayJuneSeptember synthesis Structure SURFnet User Survey

Hoogwaardig internet voor hoger onderwijs en onderzoek 17 Ratio for synthesis  Check of the conclusions drawn from the survey  Results Survey are instrumental for choices that are made regarding:  Service portfolio  Activity plans for innovation-projects

Thanks for your attention! Walter van Dijk