Dive Brief:
- The Open Cloud Consortium launched in 2008 to provide collaborative cloud-computing infrastructure and it is still one of the only organizations of its kind.
- The OCC lets researchers at universities, companies, and government agencies share big data and increase the pace of discovery, Campus Technology reports.
- Hosting big data is expensive and beyond the reach of some campus IT departments, but the OCC’s sustainability will depend on member institutions and organizations paying for its services.
Dive Insight:
The Open Cloud Consortium launched before big data research came into vogue. Its ability to fill the gap in will at institutions that support scientific study has been an important contribution to many fields. As Campus Technology notes, OCC infrastructure is helping Namibia map flood-prone regions and react pre-emptively. It is also helping researchers access human genomic data and giving people a platform for analysis across fields. The sustainability of its funding model may not be assured, but its important role in research and discovery is crystal clear.