Enhancing the Value Proposition The Saskatchewan Research Network SRNET June 2016 Enhancing the Value Proposition - SRNET 1 Confidentiality This document is intended solely for the internal and confidential use of SRNET. It may not be distributed beyond the Board of Directors of SRNET without the expressed written consent of Neil McClughan, President and CEO of SRNET. Original Refresh June 2016 Updated October 2016 Enhancing the Value Proposition - SRNET 2 Executive Summary As a not-for-profit, non-commercial, member-driven shared services organization, SRNET Members share both the accountability and the results. Significant progress has been made in the implementation of the 2015 strategy – “Increasing the Value Proposition”. Refreshing the strategy is intended to continue the work initiated in 2015 by meeting the needs of the research, advanced education, and innovation sector and by exploring the possible enhancement of services, new shared service offerings, collaboration, and advocacy. The following graphic is a refreshed summary or ‘plan on a page’ for Enhancing the Value Proposition of SRNET: Figure 1 – Refreshed ‘Plan on a Page’ There is strong support and an urgent need to rapidly implement the strategies. The needs to remain competitive, to address declining funding models, to address the tsunami of technological change, and to satisfy the needs of stakeholders have collectively developed this sense of urgency. The timing of the recommended strategies assumes additional resources are applied to the initiatives and that those initiatives receive the requisite degree of member collaboration to achieve mutually beneficial results. This strategy also assumes the engagement of the membership to the extent that the sector speaks with one voice, one message. While the planning horizon of this document is three (3) years, there is rapid change occurring both technologically and in the sector in general. Consequently, it is further recommended that the strategies outlined here be revisited and updated annually. Original Refresh June 2016 Updated October 2016 Enhancing the Value Proposition - SRNET 3 Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ..................................................................................................................... 2 BUILDING ON PROGRESS ................................................................................................................. 4 REFRESHING THE STRATEGY ............................................................................................................ 5 ENHANCED SERVICES - NEW SHARED SERVICE OFFERINGS ......................................................................................... 5 NETWORK OF PEOPLE FOR COLLABORATIVE DEVELOPMENT (COMMUNITY) .................................................................. 5 INDEPENDENT VOICE OF ICT IN THE PROVINCE (ADVOCACY). .................................................................................... 6 THE NEEDS OF THE SECTOR .............................................................................................................. 6 DEALING WITH TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE ............................................................................................................. 6 RESEARCH ..................................................................................................................................................... 7 Member responses ................................................................................................................................. 7 ADVANCED EDUCATION .................................................................................................................................... 8 Member responses ................................................................................................................................. 8 INNOVATION .................................................................................................................................................. 9 Member responses ................................................................................................................................. 9 ENHANCED SERVICES ..................................................................................................................... 10 ENHANCED NETWORK ................................................................................................................... 11 NETWORK OPERATING CENTRE (NOC) ............................................................................................................. 12 EXPANDING TO NEW MEMBERS ....................................................................................................................... 12 ENHANCED COLLABORATION ........................................................................................................ 13 INDEPENDENT VOICE (ADVOCACY) .................................................................................................................... 14 NETWORK OF PEOPLE .................................................................................................................................... 15 LEVERAGING CANARIE AND THE NREN .......................................................................................... 15 STRENGTHENED ORGANIZATION ................................................................................................... 16 LEVERAGED MEMBER RESOURCES .................................................................................................................... 16 SUCCESSION ................................................................................................................................................. 17 9A* SUPPORTING THE STRATEGY ........................................................................................................... 17 TIMING ...................................................................................................................................... 18 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................. 18 Original Refresh June 2016 Updated October 2016 Enhancing the Value Proposition - SRNET 4 Building on Progress There was unanimous approval from the SRNET Board of Directors in June 2015 to proceed with the Increasing the Value Proposition strategy. Considerable progress has been made and the following milestones reached: The SRNET network was assessed and rationalized. A capital fund was established, and capital investments and improvements will be completed throughout 2016. By-laws were rewritten to strengthen governance and oversight and to reflect a more flexible business model. Key leadership resources were secured. Rates were restructured to separate core services from shared services for more flexibility in member participation. A business case for Commercial Internet Transit (CIT) was completed. It is expected this will provide significant savings for Members and increase dramatically as more Members transition. Implementation began in May with service available in June. A fully redundant 10G Regina-Saskatoon circuit was activated in 2Q16, in part for CIT but also to enable other shared services. A Communication Strategy was developed and implementation initiated with rack cards and newsletter. Further execution of the strategy is planned for 2016 and 2017. Original Refresh June 2016 Updated October 2016 Enhancing the Value Proposition - SRNET 5 National leadership was provided in developing a national strategy for the NREN encompassing services, organization, and relationships to position Canada’s research and education network as a global leader. SRNET increased collaboration across the membership including exploring exciting new opportunities with CommunityNet. SRNET co-sponsored the annual Cybera ‘Cyber Summit’ in Banff to make it a prairie forum along with Cybera (ALTA) and MRnet (MAN). Based on Member and stakeholder feedback, awareness of SRNET has measurably improved, and the value of SRNET to Members has increased. Refreshing the Strategy The purpose of refreshing the strategy is to further elaborate on the five strategic thrusts, namely services, network, collaboration, organization and relationship with CANARIE. Emphasis was placed on further exploring the business needs of the sector and the potential in three specific aspects. Enhanced services - new shared service offerings Is there member interest in pursuing shared commodity IT services (similar to BCNET and Cybera)? Is there member interest in pursuing shared specialized resource services (e.g. Cybersecurity)? How does SRNET prioritize and resource these services? To what urgency? How is urgency assessed, and against what criteria (other than cost savings) is it weighed? Network of people for collaborative development (community) There is need to validate and elaborate the statement in the Increasing the Value Proposition strategy: “As an independent voice, a not-for-profit, non-government organization, SRNET is well positioned to collaborate with Members, with public networks, with the research and education network and with the community. Overlaying the network of technologies, SRNET should establish a network of people though a collaboration model.” Collaborative development with and through the NREN, RANs and CANARIE has met with success. Is there support for a similar model within the membership and within the stakeholder community of the province? Original Refresh June 2016 Updated