Students to benefit through KAREN access

13 December 2007

MEDIA RELEASE

From: Institutes of Technology & Polytechnics of New Zealand
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Students to benefit through KAREN access

Students will benefit through new services made available using the Kiwi Advanced Research and Education Network (KAREN), which is a high-speed, ultra high capacity network.

“KAREN access will enable institutes of technology and polytechnics to trial new services to benefit students. Services might directly support teaching and learning, or support more effective backroom services,” said Dave Guerin, Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics of New Zealand (ITP New Zealand) Executive Director

Research and Education Advanced Network New Zealand (REANNZ), which manages KAREN, announced today that ITPs and wananga would have free access to KAREN in 2008 (see http://www.reannz.co.nz/karen-experience/).

“A key part of the free access offer is that ITPs will need to run projects to utilise the network to the same value of the normal access fee. This will encourage trialling of new approaches straight away and ensure that ITPs can assess benefits when their full-price renewal comes due in 2009.”

ITPs will still need to cover ‘last mile’ connection costs, so the offer will be most valuable to those close to KAREN access points. Further work will be done with REANNZ, in partnership with ITPs and the Tertiary Education Commission to scope initial and ongoing connection issues.

ITP New Zealand represents 19 publicly-owned institutes of technology and polytechnics throughout New Zealand.

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