Northern Powerhouse secures its first shared datacentre for Higher Education

Today, in a regional first, the north’s major universities signed a deal to ensure 21st century digital infrastructure is available to education and medical research. The shared datacentre, procured by Jisc and delivered by aql, provides a cost-effective solution for UK research and education through the provision of secure housing of digital systems and services. In a world where ‘big-data’ is becoming the norm, being able to support the provision of huge processing needs, opens doors to a number of significant benefits.

For universities collaborating on core areas, such as medical research, large data sets need to be shared, and at speed – this is where a shared datacentre comes into its own. Through outsourcing of High Performance Computing (HPC) facility Jisc members can benefit from specialist skills and emerging trends in big-data management, leveraging the extensive capabilities of the Janet network.

Improving digital infrastructure will help equip businesses and universities of the Northern Powerhouse with the building blocks they need to grow and compete effectively in the global market.