Why Join the NMC?
As a partner of NMC, you will have access to the most distinctive, technologically savvy, and productive colleges and universities in North America – and to a growing number of museums as well. The NMC’s membership is often described as higher education in microcosm, as it includes representation from the entire range of institutions — large and small, public and private, research-focused and teaching-focused — and every Carnegie classification.

The institutions who have been admitted to membership in the NMC are all outstanding innovators, committed to pushing the boundaries of teaching, learning and creative expression, and adept in the application of technology. Since the founding of the NMC in 1993, only the most worthy institutions have been invited to join the consortium, and NMC membership denotes an organization deeply committed to quality, excellence in teaching and/or research, and innovation.

If your company believes in these values, and is interested in working with like-minded leading colleges and universities, you should consider joining this collaborative community of innovators and visionary thinkers.

Each partner receives a wide range of exclusive benefits corresponding to the level of partnership they choose. For a visual, at-a-glance summary of benefits, please see the Partner Benefit Chart.

Among the ways our partners are working with the NMC to advance their business interests:

Building market share. NMC colleges are seen as the vanguard for educational technology and its applications. Working with these pacesetter institutions stimulates interest from peer organizations and invaluable word-of-mouth, and has proven a very effective approach to building market share.

Selling directly to users. Using the NMC as a sales channel and offering preferential pricing on certain products to NMC member institutions has been a very successful strategy for many of our corporate partners.

Building brand awareness. The NMC can help you to increase the awareness of your products on campuses in many ways. Among the successful approaches our partners have used are sponsored competitions (see an example), curriculum development grants, and sponsored programs, events, or publications. The NMC staff can custom-design an awareness campaign to meet your needs.

Researching the market. The NMC can help you conduct focus groups, beta testing, test marketing for licensing and pricing, and other market research. Our diverse member campuses are a remarkable match for the larger world of higher education across almost every dimension.

Listening to customers. The NMC can provide many ways for you to listen to knowledgeable users in higher education, both in person and online. Frequenting our online discussion groups is a great way to learn about the challenges schools face in today’s dynamic environment. Opportunities for face-to-face conversations are myriad, and the NMC staff can custom-design a meeting or event to meet your needs.

Identifying new product opportunities. The administrators, faculty, and staff at NMC campuses are savvy technologists, who enjoy working with NMC partners to develop new applications for existing technologies as well as new technologies for currently unmet needs. Several of our partners have used this aspect of the NMC as a key bizdev strategy.

Disseminating solutions. The annual NMC Summer Conference, one of the most distinctive technology-related events in higher education, is an excellent forum to share your solutions with knowledgeable decision makers. Many partners use the conference’s many opportunities for hands-on sessions to provide in-depth demonstrations of new tools and technologies.

The NMC is truly unusual among higher education associations in the ways it has always maintained very close and mutually productive ties to the corporate world. Since the NMC was launched in 1993 from the vision of John Sculley, the mission of the NMC has always included solid partnerships with corporations interested in expanding the bounds of traditional education. The founding members of the NMC included not only 22 outstanding universities, but also Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Apple Computer, and Sony.

Today, with a membership of nearly 200 leading colleges, universities, and museums, the NMC’s governance structure continues to ensure the organization maintains strong ties to its partners — one-third of the seats on the board are reserved for partners, who enjoy the full range of benefits of membership in the NMC.