Data Strategy Inc. Becomes Merit Community Member

Ann Arbor-based Merit Network Inc. Wednesday announced that Data Strategy Inc. of Grand Rapids has accepted an invitation to become a Merit Community Supporter.

Merit Community Supporter is an invitation-only program based on Merit's core values: integrity, people, innovation and community.  Merit has extended invitations to companies that share these core values, stated Elwood Downing, VP of member relations, services and communication.

According to Downing, "a Merit Community Supporter is more than just a sponsorship program; the program will form a bridge between organizations selected and the Merit Member Community." 

Merit's Membership is made up of higher education, K-12 school systems, libraries, governmental agencies, health care and other nonprofit leaders in the state. Collectively, they are the heartbeat of Michigan's technology engine.

"One of the goals of having Merit Community Supporters is to ensure that our members are able to attend Merit member events, including the Merit Member Conference," Downing said. "These events offer an opportunity for the IT leaders in our state to collaborate, network and stay current on today's new technologies.  In today's difficult economic climate it is difficult for many of our members to send their staff to professional learning events and attend technical conferences.   It is our goal to assist our member organizations as they navigate through ever shrinking budgets and staff reductions."

Earlier this month Merit announced another partnership with Data Strategy to assist Merit and its Members in the launch of Merit's new MeritLicensing-VMware Program. Data Strategy, a VMware partner and expert in virtualization, has already begun working to assist Merit Members with their virtualization needs.

Merit Network, a nonprofit corporation owned and governed by Michigan's public universities, owns and operates America's longest-running regional research and education network. In 1966, Michigan's public universities created Merit as a shared resource to help meet their common need for networking. Since its formation, Merit Network has remained on the forefront of research and education networking expertise and services. Merit provides high-performance networking  to Michigan's public universities, colleges, K-12 schools, libraries, state government, health care, and other non-profit organizations. For more information, visit www.merit.edu.

Data Strategy Inc. is a privately held company established in 2004 that provides comprehensive consulting services, assessments, and implementation of products and services to help companies meet their IT needs. Its clients include a number of health care, finance, and education organizations, whose unique requirements for privacy, security, and access are addressed through Data Strategy's delivery of tailored solutions. Data Strategy is headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with additional locations in Troy, Columbus and Chicago. For more information, visit www.data-strategy.com.

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