Abstract
Presented at the "A Gathering of State Networks" 2004 Meeting.
Statewide education networks are being pressed to demonstrate the "value add" of their network and services. Current economic pressures are forcing state cutbacks and program elimination in areas that were previously considered sacred cows. Vendors are claiming that they can do what we do and "save big bucks." Other organizations covet our customers and our funding. Our "friends" and customers are increasingly asking the following questions: So what's the difference between a statewide network and an ISP, anyway? What's the impact and/or influence you're having on learning, research, and access to information? Is it more cost-effective to do it your way? What are the outcomes (in addition to the outputs) of your efforts? This panel will explore the strategies StateNets members are using to answer these questions and discuss how StateNets may be of assistance in coordinating a methodology to respond.