Paying the Price Developing a network is not cheap. Expensive hardware and software must be purchased and extra personnel must often be hired to configure or set up the system. Because money is a constant obstacle in state and local government, several organizations have come up with unique ways of financing their ventures onto the information highway. One way is through volunteer services and donations. Because online services and networks are a fairly new medium and a hot topic in the media, many people are enthusiastic about it, and volunteer services and support were not hard to come by for many organizations.
Some networks rely on partnerships to help ease financial strains.
Virtual Valley coordinators asked public television station KTEH to help sponsor their network. When word got out, the cities of Los Gatos, San Jose, and Saratoga expressed interest in joining as well. The network has now formed a number of additional partnerships with organizations all over the southern San Francisco Bay area. Network organizers say this arrangement has several advantages. The network benefits because it can add more information and more services for users, while its partners benefit from wide exposure for their organization.