OCRE cloud framework

An EU-compliant procurement framework for cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and associated software as a service (SaaS).

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About the OCRE cloud framework

When you need access to cloud services – such as infrastructure as a service (IaaS), platform as a service (PaaS) and complementary software as a service (SaaS) – you want a simple, compliant solution that gets you up and running quickly and cost-effectively.

Procuring from a cloud provider on your own can be complex and time-consuming. By purchasing services via the OCRE cloud framework you get predictable, safe and cost-effective access to a portfolio of cloud providers across Europe – so you can find the EU-compliant solution you need.

The framework is based on the previous GÉANT IaaS framework with an expanded scope, established by the OCRE (Open Clouds for Research Environments) project consortium led by GÉANT, to help accelerate cloud service adoption in the education and research community.

Why procure via the framework?

By accessing services via the OCRE cloud framework, you can:

Save time and money

  • Quickly find compliant suppliers, saving resources compared to the time and money you’d spend procuring a service in-house
  • Cost-effective pricing - purchasing power is increased because demand is aggregated across Europe
  • Network traffic costs are limited, with egress charges either discounted or free

Get peace of mind

OCRE conducts due diligence on contracts, providing peace of mind in terms of compliance and, where possible, better legal conditions than you are likely to find by approaching suppliers independently. A standard, negotiated call-off agreement applies to all suppliers on the framework

You can also be assured that data handling and storage will meet European and national regulations.

Make the most of our world-class Janet Network

Suppliers and services on the framework are connected to the Janet Network, either directly or via GÉANT, so you make the most of the high-capacity, low-latency Janet Network.

Benefit from the simplicity of single sign-on

If you're a member of the UK Access Management Federation, your users can use their home organisation login to access the portals of some of the cloud providers on the framework – using eduGAIN, which interconnects identity federations around the world.

Like the UK Access Management Federation, eduGAIN uses the de facto standard protocol, SAML (Security Assertion Markup Language).

Eligibility

Higher education institutions, further education colleges and Research Council establishments in the UK are eligible to use the framework. Services are also available to other organisations, such as local authorities and other bodies who are members of higher and further education purchasing consortia.

Services available via the framework

Each supplier provides their own cloud management portal, giving you a centralised view of your accounts and helping you understand how cloud services are used across your organisation. They also provide dashboards showing you full details of metering, billing, analytics and reporting. The services available through the framework include but are not limited to the following:

OCRE cloud framework services
ServiceJisc Cloud Solutions / AWSPhoenix Software / AzureSparkle / GCPQuistor / OCIVSHN / ExoscaleSetcor
AnalyticsAmazon KinesisAzure Stream AnalyticsCloud DataflowOracle Analytics Cloud
App hostingAmazon Elastic BeanstalkAzure Cloud ServicesGoogle App EngineOracle Application Container Cloud ServiceVSHN AppOps and APPUiO Cloud
AutomationAWS OpsworksAzure AutomationCompute Engine ManagementTerraform and Scripted automation
Block storageAmazon Elastic BlockAzure Managed ServicePersistent DiskOracle Block StorageVSHN Kubernetes Storage Setcor storage
ComplianceAWS CloudHSMAzure Trust CentreGoogle Cloud Platform SecurityOracle Cloud Infrastructure VaultVSHN Managed Hashicorp Vault
ComputingAmazon Elastic Compute & Cloud (Amazon EC2)Virtual MachinesCompute EngineOracle Instance ComputeExoscale Computing Instances Setcor VM
Cloud-specific containerAmazon Elastic Container Service (Amazon ECS)Azure Container ServiceContainer EngineOracle Application Container Cloud Service
Cloud-agnostic containerAmazon EKSAzure AKSGKEKubernetes, DockerExoscale Scalable Kubernetes Service SKS
Content delivery network (CDN)Amazon CloudFrontAzure CDNCloud CDNContent ManagementExoscale CDN
DNS servicesAWS Route 53Azure Traffic ManagerCloud DNSOracle DNSExoscale DNS Setcor DNS services
Identity and access managementAWS Identity and Access Management (IAM)Azure Active DirectoryCloud Identity and Access ManagementSecure Identity and Management ServiceExoscale IAM, VSHN Managed Keycloak
Key management servicesAWS KMSAzure Key VaultGoogle Cloud KMSKey Management ServiceVSHN Managed Hashicorp Vault
Load balancingElastic Load BalancingLoad Balancing for AzureCloud Load BalancingOracle Load BalancerExoscale Network Load Balancer
Log monitoringAmazon CloudTrailAzure Operational InsightsCloud LoggingOCI LoggingVSHN Managed ELK, EFK, Logstash
NoSQL database optionAWS DynamoDBAzure Document DBCloud DatastoreOracle NoSQL Database Cloud ServiceExoscale DBaaS Kafka, OpenSearch, Redis
NotificationsAmazon Simple Notification Service (Amazon SNS)Azure Notification HubOracle Notification Service
NoSQL database optionAWS DynamoDBAzure Document DBCloud DatastoreOracle NoSQL Database Cloud ServiceExoscale DBaaS Kafka, OpenSearch, Redis
Object storageAmazon Simple Storage Service (Amazon S3)Azure Blob StorageCloud StorageOCI Object StorageExoscale Simple Object Storage (SOS)Setcor S3 storage
Performance monitoringAmazon CloudWatchAzure Application InsightsStackdriver MonitoringOracle Monitoring Service
Private connectivityAWS Direct ConnectAzure Express RouteCloud InterconnectFastConnectExoscale Virtual Private Cloud Setcor MPLS/VPN
Performance monitoringAmazon CloudWatchAzure Application InsightsStackdriver MonitoringOracle Monitoring Service
Relational databaseAmazon RDSAzure Relational DatabaseCloud SQLOracle Database, mySQL, ADW, ExadataExoscale DBaaS PostgreSQL, MySQL, VSHN Managed MariaDB/Galera
Scaling optionsAWS Auto ScalingAzure AutoscaleAuto ScalerAutoscalingAutoscaling Kubernetes
Serverless computingAWS lambdaAzure FunctionsGoogle Cloud FunctionsOCI FunctionsOpenShift Serverless and Knative
Virtual networkAmazon VPCAzure Virtual NetworkCloud Virtual NetworkVirtual Cloud NetworkingExoscale Virtual Private CloudSetcor private VLAN

How to access the services

To simplify the purchasing process, OCRE has designated one supplier for each respective cloud platform per country. You can purchase the Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform, IBM Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud services through their respective resellers (see table below), as well as from a variety of original infrastructure providers (OIPs).

Resellers
PlatformSupplier
100 Percent IT cloud platform100 Percent IT
Amazon Web ServicesJisc
Blue Safespring cloud platformBlue Safespring
Cleura cloud platformCleura
CloudFerro cloud platformCloudFerro
CloudSigma cloud platformCloudSigma
ExoscaleVSHN
Google Cloud PlatformSparkle
IBM CloudSoftwareONE
IonosBechtle
Microsoft AzurePhoenix
Open Telekom CloudT-Systems
Oracle CloudQuistor Enterprises
Orange cloud platformOrange
OVHcloud Public CloudOVHcloud
Proact cloud platformProact
Setcor cloud platformSetcor

Watch our supplier workshop webinars to find out more about each platform

We invited our cloud providers to a series of workshops featuring presentations and question and answer sessions. 

Start using the framework

To find out more about the OCRE cloud framework, contact your relationship manager and view the buyers' guide (pdf).

You can also read a list of frequently asked questions (pdf) regarding the framework, contracts, and adoption funding.

In addition, the OCRE Cloud Catalogue provides details of the suppliers available in each country under the framework.

Service level description

Service description

The OCRE cloud framework is an easy, safe, cost-effective, predictable and EU compliant solution which gives you access to a portfolio of IaaS cloud providers across Europe.

Charges

Jisc applies a 3.5% administration fee for using the framework.

Your responsibilities

Selection of supplier: by using the framework, you can make a direct award to any participating supplier. Alternatively, you can run a mini-competition if something other than standard services is required.

Hours of service

The enquiry service is available during the business day. The business day is defined as Monday to Friday. It excludes 24-31 December and all English public holidays.

Request for service

Telephone 0300 300 2212 or via email to cloudframework@jisc.ac.uk

Service delivery time

An initial response to an enquiry sent to Jisc will be given within 24 hours. Your reseller will be able to advise on delivery times for services and products requested.

Terms and conditions

Organisations wishing to use the OCRE cloud framework will need to sign an access agreement form before Jisc can supply the cloud provider’s contact details and price list.

Escalation

If you have issues that you wish to escalate, please see the complaints and escalation page for details.

Please refer to Jisc's behaviours for an overview of our roles under the OCRE cloud framework.

Jisc's OCRE roles and behaviours

Jisc’s mission is to power and empower our members with the technology and data they need to succeed. To achieve this mission we want to afford choice and value to our members, ensuring support for members’ access to the highest quality services and technology providers.

Jisc is the operator of the OCRE cloud framework for the UK. As such we have an important role to ensure that eligible users of the framework can be reassured and have absolute confidence in the impartiality and quality of the advice and guidance that they receive from Jisc.

Jisc’s role encompasses supporting services to members that include those that are sold and delivered directly by Jisc; sold and delivered through direct partnerships with suppliers; and also those services that are sold independently of Jisc but delivered by the nominated partners of technology platforms, available frameworks and other means.

At Jisc we are absolutely committed to ensuring that members have unbiased, impartial and fair access to all of these services not favouring one over the other. That there are no barriers to members obtaining the best possible support from suppliers and their partners accessible via frameworks or other routes.

With respect to the OCRE cloud framework these are the behaviours you can expect to see from Jisc:

  • Promote the cloud platforms that are available through OCRE on a fair basis
  • Advise members impartially about the available cloud platforms and suppliers on the framework, taking into account their stated preferences and requirements
  • Be transparent about why a particular piece of advice has been given
  • Involve the cloud platform providers and resellers in conversations with members where this has been requested by the member or where the platform providers and reseller are able to answer a member question more directly
  • Operate in a way so that where appropriate and practical there is separation of relevant system access, people and communications to ensure that framework and supplier activities remain independent and do not permit for application in a way that could be construed as gaining an unfair advantage
  • Use our in-house capability and credibility to reciprocally reinforce the value of the framework and help grow understanding of the benefits of public cloud platforms with members
  • Provide advice and consultancy to members that is couched in terms of their requirements that is nonbiased with respect to ensuring the best possible outcome for the member
  • Privileged and/or commercially sensitive information that is shared with respect to the framework consumption and other commercial information or with respect to suppliers will be with be handled with confidence and discretion and only shared with other parties at the mutual agreement of the respective owners of that data. Jisc will use privileged information only with respect to the context that the information has been provided

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