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The MTA's Contract with Merit Network
What is Merit Network?
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Contract Information
In August 2001, the Michigan Townships Association negotiated an attractive, flexible contract
with Merit Network, Inc. that will enable even the smallest Michigan townships to obtain Internet
services. An executive summary of the contract is included below. If your townships would like a
complete copy of the contract, please send a request to mtahelp@merit.edu.
Executive Summary
We are pleased to provide you with a summary of this proposal, which will present the key
elements
of the proposal. For detailed information regarding the elements provided in this summary, please
refer to the table of contents to locate the specific section.
This proposal was designed specifically for Michigan Townships to receive Internet services,
which will assist them with expanding their communication throughout their community, government
agencies, and foster network sharing among the Townships.
The services include:
Domain Name Service: will provide each Township with the ability to register a domain name
that represents its organization. (your_township.mi-twp.org)
Web Hosting Service: will provide each Township with the ability to share information not
only with their community, but also with other Townships, and could become a showcase for other
Townships to model. The advantage of a web presence to the Township is the ability to provide
information and/or services 24 hours-a-day, 7 days-a-week. Their website will be configured to
provide each Township with their unique identity, e.g. omni.mi-twp.org.
E-mail Service: will provide each Township with five e-mail accounts to communicate
electronically with their community, other government agencies, etc. Access to the e-mail accounts
will be available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, whether they are in the office, on the road, or at
home.
Dial-in Service: will provide each Township with five dial-in accounts to be used in
conjunction with the e-mail accounts. Merit's MichNet Shared Dial-In Service provides more than 95%
of Michigan's population with a local call. We are currently working on providing 100% coverage. The
service provided in this proposal covers roaming within the state of Michigan.
Dedicated Service: will provide individual Townships with a permanent connection to the
Internet, which is always up and running 24 hours-a-day 7 days-a-week. Each Township can choose the
speed of their connection, ranging in speeds from 56Kbps to a full T1(1.5Mbs) or more.
Customer Support Service: each Township will be provided support by our Not-for-Profit
Support Team. The support team is accessible via a direct phone number (734-615-6110) or by e-mail
(nfpsupport@merit.edu). The phone number does not go through a switchboard or an automated system
and the nfpsupport mailbox is monitored by three support team members, providing personalized
support from 9 am - 5 pm, Monday -- Friday. Merit's Network Operations Center (NOC) monitors the
e-mail/web servers and the Fast Ethernet switch in our data center where the Townships servers will
be located. The NOC is staffed 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Enhanced Services: offers the Township opportunities to utilize additional Internet tools
and service.
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