How Georgetown University is migrating enterprise systems to Google Cloud to transform education and research

Like many enterprises, universities need access to scalable infrastructure and technologies so they can build global connections, manage ever-expanding data needs, and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration. And many are turning to the cloud to help them do exactly that.

Today, we’re proud to announce that Georgetown is expanding its work with Google Cloud to include migrating on-site enterprise systems to Google Cloud Platform (GCP) within one year.  By shifting their workloads to GCP, the university will implement an AI-first and cloud-first strategy that will help them to optimize their operations and accelerate research. Judd Nicholson, Georgetown’s Vice President and Chief Information Officer, says, “the relationship with Google Cloud is a key step in Georgetown’s strategy to continuously modernize its information technology infrastructure to support the evolving needs of our students, faculty and researchers.”

Georgetown was an early adopter of cloud solutions and uses G Suite to collaborate and communicate daily across campus. By taking this next step, Georgetown will digitally transform the current technology infrastructure on campus to better support teaching, learning, and research.

“This collaboration will accelerate Georgetown’s ability to provide advanced high-performance computing and sustainable storage resources to its research communities,” says Billy Jack, Georgetown’s Vice Provost for research. ”It will also serve as a gateway to creating a university of the third millennium—a learning and research institution that embraces data and technological literacy and analytical proficiency as one of the foundations of modern scholarship and enquiry across all disciplines.”

Georgetown will benefit from their expanded work with Google Cloud in a number of key ways.

• By shifting to Google data centers, which are powered entirely by renewable energy, Georgetown will be deepening its commitment to sustainability. “Our work with Google Cloud to accelerate Georgetown’s continued transition to the cloud and away from its dependence on an on-premise data center will support our sustainability efforts,” says Nicholson.
• Using Google Cloud’s advanced technologies in areas such as big data analytics and AI, Georgetown can accelerate research in key areas for positive social impact—medicine, life- and climate-sciences, global development, and many more.
• Moving all their on-site enterprise systems to Google cloud will help Georgetown reduce costs and improve efficiencies by creating synergies across all of their services.

You can read our case study to learn more about our work with Georgetown. For more information on Google Cloud education solutions, visit our website.