DANTE selects LinuxIT as IT partner for its GÉANT pan-European communication network
LinuxIT today announced a major three-year professional services outsourcing contract with DANTE. The contract will enable DANTE to provide its customer base with a flexible and secure network that will enable them to link pan-European research networks together.
Under phases one and two of the contract, LinuxIT will design, implement and manage DANTE’s Standard Operating Environment (SOE) and management platform for the GÉANT project. Together with Europe's national research networks, GÉANT connects 40 million users in over 8,000 institutions across 40 countries. By outsourcing the IT infrastructure to LinuxIT, it will help DANTE to focus on its core business without the risk and total cost of ownership.
This includes migrating DANTE from UNIX to a leading Linux platform, managed network support and access services, satellite servers, and monitoring through Nagios. By using a modern, efficient and secure foundation for its network, DANTE can offer the European national research and education networks (NRENs), including all UK universities with an efficient and cost-effective vehicle to co-ordinate pan-European research networking on their behalf, and to ensure that project results are delivered on time, within budget and with high levels of reliability.
Peter Dawes-Huish, CEO LinuxIT said: “We have a long and successful history as a leading specialist delivering enterprise-class and indemnified community based Open-Source and Open-Standards (OSS) strategies into the commercial and public sector helping them to embrace the advantages of OSS technologies.
“We are delighted to be teaming-up with DANTE and look forward to delivering our world class service and support to DANTE’s European research community. This is another shining example of LinuxIT demonstrating the value of outsourcing management within the growing science and technology sectors”.
Mike Curtis, Executive Director-Service Delivery at LinuxIT said: DANTE currently use a Sun Solaris UNIX platform managed internally. With increased demands on the system and cost issues, we established DANTE needed to move to a more stable and economic system, with enhanced and experienced support. To do so they wanted a world class technology and service partner, and the skills, to install and support a high performance network. I am very proud that we have been chosen as its outsourcing partner in helping DANTE deliver its core activities”.
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For more information please contact the LinuxIT press office on 0845 606 3002.
15 September 2011
About LinuxIT
LinuxIT Headquartered at new purpose developed offices on the outskirts of Bristol, near the M4/M5 intersection, we also have offices in London, LinuxIT is a Blended Systems Integrator™ and the UK's leading authority and specialist on the application of Linux and Open Source based systems. We are the UK’s first Red Hat Premier Partner and use our specialist skills and experience to assist organisations in the commercial, public and voluntary sectors to harness the benefits of Open Source and Linux. We do this by expanding their IT capabilities, reducing their IT Infrastructure costs and increasing their competitive advantage through the innovative use of technology. LinuxIT contributes by providing world class consulting, technology and support services through the application and integration of Red Hat Enterprise Linux and Open Source Solutions, alongside other complementary skills including Microsoft and UNIX to assist customers in their migration, or integration, of Linux in mixed IT environments. More at http://www.linuxit.com
About DANTE
DANTE is a non-profit organisation, co-funded by the European Commission and working in partnership with European National Research and Education Networks to plan, build and operate advanced networks for research and education. Established in 1993, DANTE has been fundamental to the success of pan-European research and education networking. DANTE has built and operates GÉANT, which provides the data communications infrastructure essential to the success of many research projects in Europe. DANTE is involved in worldwide initiatives to interconnect countries in other regions to one another and to GÉANT. DANTE currently manages initiatives focused on the Mediterranean, Asia-Pacific, Central Asia and China regions through the EUMEDCONNECT2, TEIN3, CAREN and ORIENT projects respectively. For more information, visit www.dante.net.
About GÉANT
GÉANT is the high speed European communication network dedicated to research and education. In combination with its NREN partners, GÉANT creates a secure, high speed research infrastructure that serves 40 million researchers in over 8,000 institutions across 40 European countries. Operating at speeds of up to 40 Gbps, GÉANT is the world’s largest and most advanced multi-gigabit network dedicated to research and education. Building on the success of its predecessors, GÉANT has been created around the needs of users, providing flexible, end to end services that transform the way that researchers collaborate. GÉANT is at the heart of global research networking through wide ranging connections with other world regions, underpinning vital projects that bridge the digital divide and benefit society as a whole.
Co-funded by the European Commission under the EU’s 7th Research and Development Framework Programme, GÉANT is the e-Infrastructure at the heart of the EU’s European Research Area and contributes to the development of emerging internet technologies. The project partners are 32 European National Research and Education Networks (NRENs), TERENA and DANTE. GÉANT is operated by DANTE on behalf of Europe’s NRENs. For more information, visit www.GEANT.net
