Introducing the New NET+ AWS Contract with Four Points Technology

Dana Bean, Four Points Technology�Bob Flynn, Internet2

internet2.edu

1. NET+ AWS Background
2. The Process
3. NET+ AWS with Four Points
4. Q & A

​

AGENDA

[ 2 ]

Introductions

Bob Flynn

Program Manager

Cloud Infrastructure & Platform Services

Internet2

bflynn@internet2.edu

Dana Bean

Senior Director

Cloud Practice

Four Points Technology

dbean@4points.com

[ 3 ]

NET+ AWS Background

[ 4 ]

NET+ AWS Background

• Started at a time when AWS could not do business in all 50 states
• Signed in 2015
• At the time AWS was just individual accounts. Enterprise controls were stitched together manually
• Internet2 and the NET+ AWS Service Advisory Board worked to keep pace with the advances from AWS and the sophistication of the subscribers’ use of the platform

​

[ 5 ]

The Process

[ 6 ]

Why a Second Contract?

• In 2022 the NET+ AWS SAB asked Internet2 to gather requirements from the community

[ 7 ]

The Process

• The requirements helped form the basis for an RFP (released 1/23 and closed 2/23)
• Large number of responses to the RFP
• A variety of institutions – public and private, large and small, EDU and affiliate – took part in the review of the RFP
• Intent to Award posted 11/23
• Contract announced 3/5/24

[ 8 ]

NET+ AWS with Four Points

[ 9 ]

Four Points Technology LLC

Headquartered in Northern Virginia, Four Points is a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business (SDVOSB) as reflected in our System for Award Management (SAM.gov) record. We are verified as an SDVOSB by the Department of Veterans Affairs and SBA. We have been in business since 2002 and focus as a Federal Government IT Value Added Reseller (ITVAR).

​

Four Points as a Cloud VAR

• 11 Years reselling cloud to public sector customers
• Customer environment spans from Department/Agency-wide PMOs/Cloud Centers of Excellence to smaller individual POC/Test workloads
• Multi-Cloud since 2018 – AWS, Azure, GCP + Oracle and IBM as needed + third-party SaaS offerings
• Four Points customers have transparent access to all CSP services, report, and tools – self-service as NIST intended
• Four Points focuses on account onboarding, billing, reporting, and cost optimization. We are not a managed/professional service provider.

​

Tenets of our AWS Delivery Model

• Total transparency at management and member account level
• Full access to AWS services/features as they are released, along with AWS Professional Services and training
• Full control – root level ownership of accounts. No reseller implemented SCPs.
• Dedicated Program Management Account(s) (PMA)

• Ownership of all data
• Ability to leverage AWS cost savings features directly (tiered volume pricing, RI/SP)
• Customized usage reports and invoices
• Ability to leverage PMA – implement customer owned and managed SCPs, and Enterprise level services (Control Tower, Landing Zone)
• Choice of support from AWS. Direct access to AWS delivered support.

The Four Points NET+ Contract

STRIDES

Standard Contract Discount – 12%

Deeper Discounts on S3 and CloudFront via service specific PPAs

Discounts on AWS delivered Training and ProServe

Data Egress Waiver

Free access to AWS Delivered Enterprise Support*

​

Internet2

Standard Contract Discount – 4.5%

EDPs/PPA available for high spend subscribers

Training Discount – 5%

AWS Professional Services Discount – 4.5%

Data Egress Waiver

​

Summary

[ 14 ]

The Result

• Rarely does one meet every community priority, but we have secured many
• U.S. Higher Education institutions; Internet2 Higher Education Members, Affiliates, and Federal Affiliates now have a choice of AWS agreements
• All the extra-contractual benefits of the Cloud Infrastructure Community Program remain regardless of your contract (regular collaborative and informational meetings, training discounts, data insights, etc.)

[ 15 ]

How to Get More Information or Just Get Started

When to start with Internet2

• Write to netplus@internet2.edu to ask for information about the NET+ AWS program more broadly, the benefits to your organization beyond the contract terms, to get help setting up a peer call, or to discuss associated NET+ programs

When to start with Four Points

• Write to I2_AWS_FPT@4points.com or visit https://www.4points.com/internet2/ for contract inquiries, information about their AWS delivery model, or just to meet the Four Points team
• Write to I2_Intake@4points.com if you need to request a quote or are ready to get started with NET+ AWS through Four Points Technology

Slides and recording 🡪

[ 16 ]

Questions

[ 17 ]