EMBL-EBI Data Centre Services.

Descriptions

The European Bioinformatics Institute (EBI) is a non-profit academic organisation that forms part of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL). EMBL-EBI is a centre for research and services in bioinformatics. The Institute manages databases of biological data including nucleic acid, protein sequences and macromolecular structures. There is an ongoing, and growing, need to collect, store and curate all this information in ways that allow its efficient retrieval and exploitation by researchers.EMBL-EBI receives more than 3.5 million web hits a day, and more than 30 000 unique users every month. The data and the vast majority of its software systems are open source, allowing the research Community to use its bioinformatics resources openly available, and without restriction.EMBL-EBI is seeking new data centre capacity to host their expanding IT infrastructure. The data centre capacity must be carrier neutral and achieve Tier III standard or equivalent. The data centre(s) must be located within 4 hours drive (measured using AA Route planner www.theaa.com/route-planner) of EMBL EBI's Outstation at Hinxton, Cambridgeshire to allow EMBL-EBI staff to undertake installation, maintenance and upgrade work on the IT equipment in the data centre(s). EMBL-EBI requires the provider to supply the infrastructure associated with and space for 60 racks within a highly robust and secure environment. In addition, EMBL EBI requires the flexibility to increase this requirement by up to 40 racks during the contract term.Pre-Qualification Questionnaires will be available from 18 November 2013 at which point they can be downloaded from www.ebi.ac.uk/dcc-space or requested by emailing dcc-space@ebi.ac.uk