As requested, the full text is below.   (I've already told them that the
url for the "faq" is broken :-(

Andy


 >>> On 22/01/2008 at 11:29, in message
<[log in to unmask]>,
"Antonia
Keith-Welsh" <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> 
> Dear Colleague
> 
> BENEFITS OF MORE OPENATHENS SUBSCRIPTIONS TO BE SHARED THROUGH LOWER
PRICES
> 
> It has become clear during the past month that, contrary to previous

> expectations, the JISC will not be contracting with Eduserv for
provision of 
> Shibboleth/Athens gateways for all universities and colleges from
August 
> 2008.  (These gateways enable members of a university or college in
the UK 
> Access Management Federation to access Athens-protected resources to
which the 
> institution subscribes: FAQs at 
> http://www.athensams.net/federations/openathens/faq provide further
details.) 
> The non-negotiable offer we received from the JISC did not approach
the 
> projected full economic cost of the service in 2008/2009 or provide a

> sustainable basis for the future. 
> 
>  
> 
> Gateway functionality remains an integral part of our OpenAthens
offering.  
> As a result of the lack of a central contract for the gateways we now
expect 
> there to be a larger number of OpenAthens subscriptions.  As a
not-for-profit 
> provider of shared services to education and the public sector,
Eduserv will 
> seek to share the benefits of the higher than anticipated
subscriptions and 
> will do this through a reduction in the price of the service of up to
40% - or 
> more, if take-up is very high.
> 
>  
> 
> Benefits of OpenAthens
> 
> Implementing OpenAthens provides:
> 
> i)                    continuity of one password, single sign-on
access to 
> e-resources from a not-for-profit organisation that has delivered the
Athens 
> access and Identity management shared service since 1995
> 
> ii)                  access through a fully scaleable service that
currently 
> handles over 10 million monthly authentications to 600 e-resource
bundles from 
> more than 200 data providers
> 
> iii)                 solutions that  work with your infrastructure
with a 
> choice of managed directory or local directory service options 
> 
> iv)                ability to access Athens protected resources from

> Shibboleth implementations and vice versa
> 
> v)                 improving user experience through the customisable

> MyAthens portal
> 
> vi)                technical compliance enabling full participating 
> membership of the UK Access Management Federation on completion of
its 
> formalities
> 
> vii)              standards-compliant software, plus installation
support, 
> for sites wishing to act as service providers for other members of
the UK 
> Access Management Federation and/or other OpenAthens users
> 
> viii)             access to the technology solutions that we create
to 
> enable participation in other federations
> 
> ix)                a supported solution that minimises the demands on

> internal development and service staff. 
> 
>  
> 
> Pricing
> 
> As shown below, we will reduce the price as increasing numbers of 
> universities and colleges commit to OpenAthens subscriptions.
> 
> JISC Band
> 
> 1) Published price previously announced
> 
>  
> 
> 2) New price in the light of anticipated higher take-up
> 
> 3) Price if over 300 institutions
> 
> participate
> 
> 4) Price if over 400 institutions participate
> 
> A
> 
> £9,500
> 
> £8,075
> 
> £6,650
> 
> £5,700
> 
> B
> 
> £8,500
> 
> £7,225
> 
> £5,950
> 
> £5,100
> 
> C
> 
> £7,500
> 
> £6,375
> 
> £5,250
> 
> £4,500
> 
> D
> 
> £6,500
> 
> £5,525
> 
> £4,550
> 
> £3,900
> 
> E
> 
> £5,500
> 
> £4,675
> 
> £3,850
> 
> £3,300
> 
> F
> 
> £4,500
> 
> £3,825
> 
> £3,150
> 
> £2,700
> 
> G
> 
> £3,500
> 
> £2,97
5
> 
> £2,450
> 
> £2,100
> 
> H
> 
> £2,500
> 
> £2,125
> 
> £1,750
> 
> £1,500
> 
> I
> 
> £1,500
> 
> £1,275
> 
> £1,050
> 
>    £900
> 
> J
> 
>    £800
> 
>    £680
> 
>    £560
> 
>    £480
> 
>  
> 
> Positive feedback already suggests that take-up of OpenAthens is
likely to 
> exceed our initial estimates, so we are now moving to the prices in
column 2. 
> Prices in columns 3 or 4 (representing 30 and 40% discounts
respectively) 
> will become effective if participation reaches the specified level by
the end 
> of May.  (Given the current limited availability of online resources
in some 
> colleges, we do not expect take up significantly beyond 400
institutions at 
> this stage but we will make further reductions if we are proved
wrong.)  We 
> will keep you updated on subscription progress between now and the
end of 
> May. Institutions that commit to a three-year subscription will
secure the 
> benefits of the reduced prices for the entire period. For
institutions who do 
> not wish to make such a commitment we guarantee that the price for
2009/2010 
> and for 2010/2011 will in any case not exceed the 2007/2008 price
previously 
> announced (column 1).
> 
>  
> 
> Please complete the attached Commitment Form as soon as possible. 
Final cut 
> off for forms will be Friday, 30th May 2008.  We will use the firm 
> commitments that we have received at that stage to finalise pricing
in 
> accordance with the thresholds specified, and will then incorporate
these 
> reduced prices in the formal subscription documentation, which we
will send 
> to you in June.  Invoices will be raised at the end of June, dated
1st August 
> 2008 so that payment can come out of your 2008/9 budget.  Please let
us know 
> if earlier payment is of help to you.
> 
>  
> 
> We are sending this email to our Chest and Athens contacts and to
UCISA and 
> SCONUL lists: apologies for duplications. We have sought to answer
the most 
> obvious FAQs at http://www.athensams.net/federations/openathens/faq,
but if 
> you have any further questions or would like further information
please 
> contact us at [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>  or
by phone 
> on 01225 474380.
> 
>  
> 
> We are disappointed that we have been unable to reach agreement with
the 
> JISC on central funding for a Gateways service. We are committed to
providing 
> real sustainable benefit and shared value to the HE and FE
communities. We 
> believe that the measures outlined above are now the best way we can
do this.
> 
>  
> 
>  
> 
> Keith Dixon
> Access & Identity Management
> 
>  
> 
> Eduserv 
> advancing achievment 
> 
> ________________________________
> 
> [log in to unmask] 
> 
> tel: +44 (0)1225 474380 
> 
> fax: +44 (0)1225 474301
> 
> http://www.eduserv.org.uk 
> 
> ________________________________
> 
>