Here to Help – Navigating the Options
MEEC – The Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium
MEEC is hosted by the University System of Maryland. Maryland Education Enterprise Consortium offers centrally coordinated and negotiated agreements for use by members to gain economic advantage and value in the acquisition of products and services that are beneficial to the educational enterprise. These member organizations collectively interact with prospective vendors and develop specifications to procure cost effective, high quality product and service solutions.
- Statewide consortium for purchasing agreements. Membership is open to private and public K-12 schools, community colleges, private and public universities, federal institutions and libraries.
- Competitively bid contracts with economic advantage and value through advantageous contract terms for software, hardware and services
- Provide its members technology relevant services, e.g., web and in-person seminars that support the use and usability of procured technology and easy access to vendors etc.
CSM – Collaborative Solutions Maryland
CSM is a Maryland nonprofit 501(c)3 membership corporation formed in 2013, by its members for its members, to provide and support activities not readily available through existing offices and options including access to leading edge network services.
- Designed to solve problems that could not previously be solved
- More nimble procurement with appropriate due diligence based on scale
- Brokerage and provider of consulting, contracting and advisory services
- Does not involve hardware or software procurement
- E-Rate Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) provider for Maryland Research and Education Network services
MDREN – Maryland Research and Education Network
MDREN is an office under University System of Maryland. MDREN consists of a state network that connects University System of Maryland members, other Maryland state universities, community colleges, and private institutions to each other, the Internet, and Internet2, as well as access to teleconferencing and distance learning facilities, using leased and MDREN’s own fiber core infrastructure.
- Statewide network providing Internet, Internet2 and inter-institutional high-speed connectivity
- Interactive video services
- “Network” of people with common needs and challenges
- Promotes joint training opportunities for staff on relevant topics of common member interest
- Arranges vendor-neutral presentations on relevant strategic technology topics
USMAI Library Consortium
The USMAI Library Consortium is hosted by the University System of Maryland and represents fourteen library systems within the USM (including two law libraries and one health sciences library), plus the libraries of Morgan State University and St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Through unified, cost effective and creative collaborations, USMAI supports the shared mission of our member campuses to contribute to the intellectual and cultural growth of our students, faculty and staff.
- Leverages group buying power to provide USM-wide access at a substantially reduced cost to e-journals, e-books, databases, and other content
- Coordinates extensive USM-wide sharing of print collections so that library users at one institution can borrow materials from any other member library
- Shares centrally-managed technologies and policies to help promote consistent and high quality library experiences in all member libraries