OCRE: Open Clouds for Research Environments
As an official partner in the Open Cloud for Research Environments (OCRE), we are excited to offer our cloud services to the GÉANT community.
Simplified cloud provisioning & procurement
Why move to cloud services?
Vastly improved collaboration and communication
Easy access to resources any time, any place
Reduced operational and management overheads
Scalability, flexibility, and agility
Modernized learning environments
Cloud challenges in academia
Despite being a major strength for education and research, cloud computing isn’t without its challenges.
The inadequacy of resources and expertise is often an issue alongside the complexity of cloud pricing. Lack of governance and policies can lead to incomplete visibility of cloud resources and spiralling costs. Putting in place compliance and security rules can be overwhelming.
On top of this, academia deals with vast amounts of data that need to be stored, filtered, and managed so that it is easily accessible to provide demonstrable value.
Flexible Engine : trusted cloud
With no global standard governing data sovereignty and privacy regulations, the landscape can be foreboding. We are here to help you navigate this dynamic terrain.
You can be safe in the knowledge that your most sensitive data is safe with us. We offer European hosting via 6 data centers located in Europe, European contact, and European compliance.
Supporting European cloud development
Flexible Engine is a high-performance and scalable cloud infrastructure from Orange Business Services, one of Europe’s largest digital services providers.
Built-on OpenStack, it is a proven platform supporting a wide range of services and customers.
Flexible Engine: Innovate thanks to Orange Business Services’ Public Cloud
Services and features
Virtual Machines
Petabytes stored
Customer domains
%
Guaranteed availability
Key features
Elastic Cloud Server (ECS)
Virtual machines with computing, memory and operating system.
Cloud Container Engine
Kubernetes orchestrator to manage Docker containers.
Object Storage Service
Secure and reliable data storage at an affordable price.
Relational Database Service
Compatible with Microsoft SQL, MySQL, PostGre, MongoDB.
ModelArts
Full suite AI development platform that handles data integration (incl. labeling), training and inference.
Sobloo
Access to earth observation data collected from the Copernicus, the European satellite programme.
More than 50 services and features integrated into the platform.
Orange Cyberdefense – Build a safer digital society
Open standards
Built on OpenStack, one of the world’s most popular cloud computing platforms. As an open platform, there is no fear you will ever be locked in.
Maximum security
Maximum security with Anti-DDoS, Key Management Service, Web Application Firewall, IPS, URL filtering, vulnerability management and anti-malware. All backed by Orange Cyberdefense, Europe’s leading cybersecurity service provider.
Flexible pricing
Access exclusive OCRE pricing, either pay-as-you-go for more flexibility or subscribe for increased savings.
Cloud experts
Our cloud experts will accompany you throughout your journey to the cloud, from migration to the operation of your platform. Benefit from customised expertise to optimise your cloud for your challenges.
AI can transform scientific research by sifting through vast amounts of data and analyzing data sets for invaluable insight.
ModelArts, the AI development tool within Flexible Engine, is an affordable, inclusive tool adaptable to all levels of expertise. Created to go straight from the box, it allows you to develop AI models for all your use cases: image, video, voice, object detection, scoring, recommendations, and exception detection.
ExeML allows you to model without code through a graphical user interface. Get pre-integrated models and train them via inheritance or TensorBoard virtualization toolkit. At the other end of the spectrum, ModelArts allows developers to take total ownership of their AI models from start to finish using tools such as Jupyter notebooks.
An AI can help you prevent image piracy by checking against massive stacks of images in libraries to spot where copyright infringements may have been made.
Why ModelArts is
a perfect fit for research and education
Easy to use for all skills levels
Adaptable to any use case
Supports the entire development process
Five reasons for selecting Orange
1. Aligned with OCRE
Orange Flexible Engine is fully aligned with the OCRE Cloud Framework and is the ultimate choice for futureproofing our GÉANT cloud. As well as helping you with your cloud migration and ensure you get the best out of your cloud investment, we can also:
2. Optimize your cloud spend
Cloud cost optimization is paramount in planning, budgeting, and forecasting your cloud requirements. Our experts can help you make informed decisions about your cloud infrastructure, applications, and services to deliver the results you expect from your cloud investment.
3. No hidden costs
Cloud costs can be notoriously tricky to manage. Our pricing is tailor-made with no hidden costs. You can pay-as-you-go for more flexibility or subscribe to optimize costs. Your billing is explained clearly and in detail to keep accurate track of the resources you are using and know exactly where your cloud budget is spent.
4. Provide on-the-ground support
The human touch is vital to us. We can offer a personalized service via our local teams on the ground. Training is given in person-specific to the solution you have chosen, which allows your users to sharpen their skills faster.
5. The right skills
The continuous training of our experts is one of our key priorities and enables us to rely on more than 500 technological and manufacturer certifications to support your projects.
Our Flexible Engine for the OCRE offers
Special discount programs for OCRE Cloud framework institutions
Workshops addressing essential Cloud services
No charge for outbound internet traffic
Direct connectivity with GÉANT network
Professional services, on-site support, and cloud coaches, available in English and French
24/7 support and introductory workshops for on-boarding
Management console to set Identity and Access Management (IAM) and manage resources
Additional reading
Practical advice for managing cloud computing and leveraging AI.
Sobloo earth data
Earth observation data is essential for assessing the impact of climate change, but the file sizes are enormous. Learn how to leverage this vital resource with sobloo, running on Flexible Engine.
Controlling cloud costs
You can better manage your cloud spend by continuously matching your cloud instance sizes to workloads and performance demands. This guide to rightsizing cloud resources will help you manage budgets and gain visibility into your cloud estate.
Responsible AI
AI is transforming the way academic institutions carry out research. But there can be issues around data quality, data privacy and unconscious bias. Read this guide to the responsible use of AI in academia.
Rearchitecting applications
Academic institutions need to adapt to a new breed of students, researchers, and faculty that demands fast, efficient access to data. Application modernization is a vital ingredient in delivering this. Learn more about rearchitecting applications.
Contact us
Get in touch if you are interested in finding out more about how you can tap into the power of the future-proof cloud with Orange Flexible Engine
Email: [email protected]
Orange is a global network-native digital services company,
learn more about us at www.orange-business.com/en/corporate/data-into-tada