General Questions for Discussion in Todays Breakout Sessions

General Questions for Discussion in Today’s Breakout Sessions Wednesday, 24 May 2006 The EARNEST Foresight Study 2006 - 2007

Common Theme (National) Research and Education Networks need to re-define their role, their position, the services that they offer, the customers that they serve The EARNEST Foresight Study 2006 - 2007

Question 1 How will (National) Research and Education Networks distinguish themselves (in the next 5 -10 years) from commercial providers? – Historically, NRENs have been providing connectivity with a capacity / quality that commercial providers could not offer. That is no longer sufficient (justification). – For example, “new” user groups (schools, libraries, healthcare, government institutions, etc. ). Which should be served by NRENs and which should be served by commercial providers? – How far “up the service / application stack” should NRENs go? (Should they even make “content” part of their business? ) The EARNEST Foresight Study 2006 - 2007

Question 2 The essence of the Norwegian Giga. Campus project is that the national network (services) and the local network (services) are no longer seen as separate responsibilities but as a joint responsibility of the NREN and the local network people. They then work together closely in many areas. Is this an example that should be followed (perhaps in slightly different forms) in all European countries? The EARNEST Foresight Study 2006 - 2007

Question 3 If GÉANT 2 and all NRENs would all use the same platform (e. g. “let’s all buy Alcatel”) things would be simpler than in the current situation with different platforms. Can research networks as launching customers of new technologies and products exert enough market pressure on vendors to enforce global standardisation? The EARNEST Foresight Study 2006 - 2007

Question 4 Research networks give a lot of attention to “high-end” users (Grid applications and others). Do they give enough attention to “middleclass” and “low-end” users, making them aware of the technologies and services that they could use? Is there “latent usage”? The EARNEST Foresight Study 2006 - 2007