Microsoft, GÉANT (Europe’s leading collaboration on network and related infrastructure for research and education), and the European National Research and Education Network (NREN) community have built on their long-term partnership by revealing a new Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) framework agreement.
IaaS – a form of cloud computing which provides virtualized computing resources over the internet – offers highly scalable resources which can be adjusted on-demand, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs, while removing the need to deploy, service and maintain in-house hardware and software.
The IaaS framework agreement itself is between GÉANT, the NREN community, Microsoft, and 10 approved Microsoft resellers across EMEA, with an associated cloud-based offering based on Microsoft Azure that is tailor-made for the research and education community.
Collaborations such as this allows the research and education community to benefit from advancements in technology such as cloud computing, which can propel breakthroughs in research as well as enhance and optimise student engagement and institutional operations.
Speaking about the GÉANT IaaS Framework agreement, Anthony Salcito, Vice President of Worldwide Education at Microsoft said: ‘’Microsoft Azure is the perfect choice for research and education institutions. It allows quick access to very powerful computing environments where complex data can be stored and shared easily and securely.”
“It also gives researchers access to tools which can turn data into insights and enable them to collaborate with others quickly and securely to accelerate discovery. We are delighted to bring these many benefits and opportunities to the research and education community across the EMEA region through the GÉANT IaaS framework agreement which builds on our strong partnership with GÉANT and the NREN community.’’
Better together
Thousands of universities, schools and research institutions can now benefit from Microsoft Azure cloud services with procurement, contracting and integration taken care of by GÉANT and the NREN community under a common GÉANT IaaS framework agreement.
The framework agreements with these resellers benefit educational institutions and research organizations who want to move to Microsoft Azure in a number of ways – first and foremost by allowing the benefits of cloud computing to be easily used and shared, in a cost-effective manner with access to full operational support.
Institutions will be able to buy and use Microsoft Azure directly, without the need for complex contract procedures, and benefit from volume discounts, while the framework contracts themselves are compliant with EU privacy and data security regulations.
Network traffic costs will also be significantly reduced, thanks to Microsoft Azure services connected to the high-performance data networks provided by GÉANT and its NREN partners.
As Microsoft has the largest global footprint of data centres in the industry – with data centres located all around the world from Australia, Asia, North and South America, and across Europe – using Microsoft Azure also enables institutions to expand their existing data centres with Microsoft Cloud.
Customers can draw resources on-demand and pay only for the usage therefore helping them avoid upfront capital outlays and allow the growth of IT capabilities on an as-needed basis. As Microsoft have the largest compliance portfolio in the industry, Microsoft Azure also helps customers achieve and remain GDPR compliant.
To find an approved Microsoft Azure reseller on the GÉANT IaaS framework or for more information, please click here.
For more information on GÉANT and Microsoft’s partnership, you can view the official press release here.
