GPN Announces Information Technology Disaster Assistance Service for Members

September 4, 2015

September 04, 2015 – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Executive Council of the Great Plains Network consortium has just approved a new service to assist member universities in the event of an information technology related disaster. Members may opt to subscribe to this new service to obtain or render assistance in the event of an IT failure caused by a natural, manmade or other disaster. “We will be able to take advantage of the outstanding cyberinfrastructure we have deployed for science to assist our member campuses in the event of an IT-related disaster,” announced Bill Mitchell, GPN Executive Director.

Michael Ruhrdanz and Amy Metzger of the University of Nebraska – Lincoln championed development of the service. According to Ruhrdanz, “Collaboration is our best opportunity to respond and recover from a disaster as well as increase resiliency.” He added that this service also leverages existing relationships with the Big Ten’s Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC) and Internet2.

The GPN IT Disaster Assistance Service is modelled after mutual aid agreements in the areas of firefighting and emergency relief. GPN will maintain an active list of members who are willing to be called upon to come to one another’s aid in the event of an IT-related disaster. Members agree to provide one another with space, power, cooling, equipment, Internet capacity, networking, and/or security, when possible, at cost.

Bob Lim, Chief Information Officer, University of Kansas, and Chair of the GPN Executive Council noted that “Our campus customers rely on uninterrupted access to technology resources to meet their academic and research goals. The speed with which we can recover from a disruptive event is determined by our preparation and by the resources we can leverage in an emergency. As a valued business partner, GPN is providing peace of mind for its members by providing support when it is needed most.”

To learn more about this new service visit the GPN website: greatplains.wpengine.com

About GPN
The Great Plains Network (GPN) is dedicated to supporting research and education through the use of advanced networking technology and cyberinfrastructure. GPN membership includes universities in Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Primary Contact Information
Dr. Greg Monaco
Great Plains Network
greg@greatplains.net
785-554-9657