The University’s Hybrid Cloud Platform

The global market for hardware has changed considerably over the last 12 months. The rapid expansion of AI-focused data centres worldwide has driven up demand for hardware components, pushing prices higher and increasing lead times. Memory and storage have been particularly affected, with lead times increasing from weeks to several months and in some cases, components are simply unavailable. 

For University departments, colleges and research groups planning hardware refresh cycles or capacity expansion, these market conditions have practical implications; greater capital outlay, longer waiting times and a degree of uncertainty that makes traditional hardware procurement more difficult to manage at a time when budgets are already under pressure. 

A managed platform, hosted within the University

The University’s new Hybrid Cloud Infrastructure platform launched in 2025, with the underlying infrastructure purchased ahead of the current surge in AI-driven demand. Because the hardware was procured before the increased demand, the platform benefits from pre-2026 market pricing, providing some insulation from the component price volatility and extended lead times that are already impacting procurement timelines. 

The platform provides a managed, virtualised compute and storage environment hosted within the University’s data centres. It is built to support a broad range of institutional workloads without needing departments to procure, maintain, or manage the lifecycle of physical servers. 

How the service works 

The service operates on a consumption-based model, meaning you only pay for the resources you use, and is delivered as a fully managed platform. You can focus on managing your virtual machines and the services running within them whilst the Cloud & Storage Services team handles everything else beneath the surface from hardware maintenance and updates to capacity management and platform administration. Data protection is also taken care of, with backup and recovery managed on your behalf to ensure your data is recoverable and resilient, should you need it. 

Who is this service for? 

The service is likely to be of most interest to departments, colleges, or research groups that: 

• Are approaching end-of-life for existing server hardware and considering options 
• Are facing capital expenditure constraints for any upcoming infrastructure refresh in the current environment 
• Require scalable compute and storage capacity for variable or research-driven workloads 
• Are looking to reduce the time and resource spent on managing on-premises infrastructure 

It is worth noting that the platform may not be the right fit for every use case. Teams with specific requirements or workloads better suited to public cloud environments are encouraged to speak to the Cloud & Storage Services team who can advise on the most appropriate option across IT Services’ wider hybrid-cloud portfolio. 

What does the platform offer? 

The platform offers the following features: 

• On-demand compute and storage 

Virtualised infrastructure provisioned within university-hosted data centres. Capacity can be adjusted in response to workload requirements without the delay associated with hardware procurement cycles. 

• Self-service provisioning 

Virtual workloads can be deployed and managed through a unified management portal, reducing the need to raise tickets for routine provisioning tasks. 

• Enterprise data protection 

Centralised backup, recovery, and resilience mechanisms designed to support institutional continuity and compliance obligations. 

Planned developments in 2026 

The Cloud & Storage Services team is committed to a programme of improvements, with a number of enhancements planned for 2026: 

• Advanced threat protection

Real-time monitoring and improved detection of ransomware and other malicious activity will be introduced through security capabilities native to the platform, further strengthening the service’s existing security posture. 

• Enhanced network resilience

Additional network-level controls and automated containment capabilities will be introduced to further limit the potential impact of any security incident.   

• Expanded self-service catalogue

Additional services and pre-configured environments will be added to the self-service portal, making it quicker and easier to provision the resources you need without having to raise a request with IT Services.  

Ready to get started? 

Whether you’re planning a hardware refresh, exploring alternatives to on-premises infrastructure, or want to understand whether the platform is a good fit for your needs, the Cloud & Storage Services team is here to help. 

Contact us at cloud-services@it.ox.ac.uk or visit the Hybrid Cloud page in the Digital Services Catalogue for further details.