The Network Advisory Committee believes that CNS should maintain high network standards, as the near-term investment in a robust network infrastructure will lead to a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) in the long run. However the NAC also recognizes that in rare cases, circumstances make following the exact standards to be impossible or prohibitively expensive. CNS has traditionally dealt with this in an ad-hoc manner. 

We recommend the CNS continue to make exceptions only when necessary and attempt to balance near-term costs and long-run TCO. We also recommend the CNS include language in its published standards to the following effect:

"These guidelines are intended to establish campus-wide standards leading to a lower total cost of ownership (TCO) for the maintenance of the campus network. We acknowledge that there may be circumstances where following these standards exactingly leads to unusually high near-term expenses that may not be offset by the long-run benefits of lower TCO. CNS will review these circumstances on a case-by-case and make exceptions if the near-term costs exceed the expected long-term benefits. In cases of totally new construction, however, we anticipate that these guidelines will be followed completely. An exception may be requested by contacting the Director of CNS."

Finally, we believe that it is absolutely imperative that Capital Projects and CNS work to ensure that CNS network design standards are incorporated into new construction designs at the earliest possible time, as this will greatly reduce expenses associated with constructing a robust network infrastructure. The NAC is aware of specific instances where failure to take this step at the appropriate time has led to delays and increased expense.