The National Distance Education Centre in Ireland has adopted a cooperative and collaborative approach in meeting its primary aim of extending access to qualifications and training throughout Ireland to those who are unable to attend full-time education because of work, location, disability, or domestic reasons. This paper analyses the conditions which determine the effectiveness of partnerships and networks in the context of this experience. The paper will consider the challenges and opportunities facing cooperative national distance education systems in the context of new technologies, globalisation, and converging markets.