Cloud services are available to CESNET users through OCRE framework contracts

Prague, May 25th, 2021. CESNET offers its users cloud and infrastructure services (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) from major commercial providers on discounted terms through framework agreements concluded on the basis of the results of the OCRE (Open Cloud for Research Environments) project. These have been tendered in a pan-European tender by the GÉANT association for the period 2021-2026 with the aim of simplifying the provision of these services to science, research and education organisations.

“In addition to simple procurement without the need for complicated tendering procedures, users will also receive significant discounts and direct and secure network peering through CESNET and GÉANT networks,” said Jan Gruntorád, CESNET Director, on the benefits of the solution offered.

The OCRE project is financially supported by the European Commission and is part of the Europe’s Digital Single Market strategy, or the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), promoted by the Commission.

CESNET will enable connected organisations to benefit from these services under more favourable technical and economic conditions. In the Czech Republic, 12 eligible suppliers have been selected:  Rackspace – AWS, CloudFerro, CloudSigma, VSHN – Exoscale, AppXite – IBM, Revolgy – Google, SoftwareONE – MS Azure, T-Systems, Quistor – Oracle, Orange, Safespring a Setcor. There is always one supplier available for each solution. The end-user draws its services from the CESNET association, which is the intermediary between the suppliers and the end-users under this procurement.

More information:

https://www.cesnet.cz/sluzby/geant-iaas/

https://www.ocre-project.eu/services/cloud-suppliers/country/czech-republic

CESNET was founded in 1996 by universities and the Czech Academy of Sciences. It is engaged in research and development of information and communication technologies, building and developing a national CESNET e-infrastructure for research and education. Thanks to its research activities and achievements, it represents the Czech Republic in important international projects, especially in building the pan-European network GÉANT or grid projects (EGI.eu), and participates actively in their implementation. The association is also working on the use of high-speed networks for sharing multimedia data, both synchronously in the form of video conferencing and shared applications, and asynchronously in the form of streaming. Since December 2020, CESNET represents the Czech Republic in the international association dealing with the open science paradigm – EOSC AISBL.
More at: www.cesnet.cz