What Universität Basel IT-Services does

Universität Basel IT-Services is the central IT department of the University of Basel, a public research university founded in 1460 and headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. The department delivers IT infrastructure, end-user services, and first-level support to the university's students, faculty, researchers, administrative staff, and visiting guests. Headcount in the source data is recorded as 5 (likely reflecting a specific administrative or contact subset rather than the full operational team), with the Service Desk operating from Monday to Friday, 08:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, at Spitalstrasse 41, Basel.

The service portfolio centers on Microsoft 365 / Exchange Online for email and calendar, Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect VPN plus WebVPN for secure remote access, eduroam wireless connectivity, and a mandatory Two-Step Login (Microsoft Authenticator or SMS) for identity assurance. Additional offerings include Cisco IP Phone 8841/8851 telephony with Cisco Jabber softphone, UNIprint centralized printing, the Leihs device-lending platform (max 30-day loans), six computer rooms with 125 workstations, software licensing (including M365 for students), function mailboxes, and the Viaweb self-service portal for UNI-Account management. Self-service is reinforced through the Service Catalog (servicekatalog.unibas.ch) and TeamViewer-based remote support. Security is treated as a first-class Schwerpunktthema, with phishing awareness, security advisories, and dedicated policies (Richtlinien, Datenschutz, Datensicherheit) supporting compliance with the Swiss Federal Data Protection Act (DSG), the Canton Basel-Stadt Information and Data Protection Act (IDG), and EU GDPR/DSGVO.

The business model is non-commercial: IT-Services is an internal cost center funded by the University of Basel's operating budget, with services provided free of direct charge to the university community. Communications run through the IT-Services website (German and English), email newsletters, RSS feeds, and IT training courses. The department does not pursue external customers, does not generate revenue, and has no disclosed funding rounds, investors, or M&A activity. Strategic partnerships are infrastructural rather than commercial — principally SWITCH (Swiss academic network and edu-ID identity provider) and the global eduroam federation, plus minor integrations with OpenStreetMap and Ops One (Matomo hosting). The two documented active initiatives are the July 2026 migration of student mailboxes to Exchange Online and the August 2026 UNIprint service update.

Name

Universität Basel IT-Services

Legal name

IT Services der Universität Basel

Website

https://its.unibas.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Universität Basel IT-Services is the central IT department of the University of Basel, a public Swiss research university, providing IT infrastructure, Microsoft 365/Exchange email, VPN, eduroam wireless, two-factor authentication, device lending, telephony, and Service Desk support to the university's students, faculty, researchers, and staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education IT Services

NAICS

Computer Facilities Management Services (541513), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374), Communications Services, Nec (4899), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Service Management (ITSM) Platforms (HDAEALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

IT Asset Management (ITAM) Platforms (HDAEALAD), Infrastructure, Networking & Systems Administration Training (BPAEANAJ), Systems Administration & IT Operations (Windows/Linux, Monitoring, ITSM) (EDABAFAH)

Keywords

• Higher education IT services
• University IT infrastructure
• Campus network access
• Academic user support
• Enterprise identity management

Headquarters

HQ city

Basel

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations, Others

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Universität Basel IT-Services operates the central IT infrastructure of the University of Basel, delivering network access, identity and authentication, email and calendar, telephony, printing, software licensing, device lending, computer rooms, and end-user support to students, faculty, administrative staff, and authorized guests of the university. Services are funded internally and provided free of direct charge as part of university membership, with delivery handled through a Service Desk, self-service portals, and integrated enterprise platforms.

Product overview

Universität Basel IT-Services provides a comprehensive suite of IT services to support the university's teaching, research, and administration. The portfolio centers on core infrastructure and productivity services including VPN (GlobalProtect/WebVPN), Two-Step Login multi-factor authentication, and UNIBAS Email/Calendar built on Microsoft Exchange Online. Equipment needs are served through the Leihs device lending platform, while software distribution provides access to Microsoft M365/Office 365. Additional services include Cisco IP telephony with voicemail, Eduroam wireless networking, UNIprint printing, and computer room facilities. Self-service is enabled through the Viaweb portal for account management and the Service Catalog for service discovery. Security services encompass phishing protection and security awareness. Support is delivered through a centralized Service Desk with TeamViewer-based remote assistance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leihs: Equipment lending/reservation system used for borrowing devices at the University of Basel
• GlobalProtect VPN
• Viaweb
• Servicekatalog

Products and services

• VPN (Virtual Private Network) Secure remote access to the University of Basel network using the Palo Alto Networks GlobalProtect client or the WebVPN browser service, enabling access to internal university resources and external resources only available from the university network.
• Two-Step Login Mandatory two-factor authentication service using Microsoft Authenticator, authenticator app codes, or SMS verification for secure access to UNIBAS services including VPN, email, and Leihs.
• UNIBAS Email & Calendar
• Device Lending (Leihs) Online equipment lending service allowing university members to reserve and borrow devices to bridge operational bottlenecks, with pickup at the Service Desk and a maximum 30-day loan duration.
• Software Offerings Centralized software distribution and licensing service providing access to approved software for students and employees, including the Microsoft 365 / Office 365 suite.
• Service Catalog (Servicekatalog) Comprehensive online catalog of all IT services offered by IT-Services, covering hardware, software, network, and support offerings with descriptions and access information.
• Cisco IP Phone / VoIP Telephony Voice over IP telephony service for the university using Cisco IP Phone models 8841 and 8851, with voicemail functionality and the Cisco Jabber softphone client for Windows.
• Service Desk Central IT support service providing first-level assistance via phone (+41 61 207 14 11), email ([email protected]), in-person visits, and remote maintenance via TeamViewer, with defined opening hours Monday to Friday.
• Eduroam Wireless Network Worldwide wireless network access service enabling members of the University of Basel to connect to eduroam at participating research and educational institutions globally, configured via CAT profiles or the geteduroam app.
• Function Mailboxes Email addresses assigned to institutes and projects rather than individuals, managed through the Self Service Portal with approver-based access authorization.
• SWITCH edu-ID Swiss higher education identity service used by the University of Basel for authentication and access to academic resources across Swiss research and education institutions.
• Viaweb (UNI-Account Self-Service Portal) Self-service portal for managing UNI-Account credentials including password changes, email address setup, password recovery configuration, and language preferences.
• Computer Rooms & Workplaces Six PC and Mac computer rooms with 125 workstations freely accessible outside teaching hours, including the Rauminfo room reservation system for scheduling spaces for teaching.
• UNIprint Service Centralized printing service for university members with printing devices distributed across campus locations.
• Phishing Protection & Security Awareness Security awareness and protection services for the university community, including phishing awareness training, promotion of Two-Step Login, and guidance on safe computing practices.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration13 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• eduroam Global FederationcoreTechnology or Integrationeduroam is a worldwide wireless network federation enabling University of Basel students, faculty, and staff to access Wi-Fi at thousands of participating research and educational institutions globally. Uses Configuration Assistant Tool (CAT) for automated client setup across all major operating systems.
• SWITCHcoreTechnology or IntegrationSWITCH operates the Swiss academic network and provides edu-ID identity services used by the University of Basel for authentication and access management across Swiss research and education institutions.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• SWITCH: Swiss non-profit operator of the national academic network and edu-ID identity federation. A core partner and ecosystem provider for Basel IT — comparable as a strategic adjacency rather than a direct competitor, since SWITCH serves all Swiss higher-education institutions collectively.
• Jisc: UK non-profit that provides shared digital, network, and identity services for universities and research institutions. Functionally analogous to SWITCH plus additional shared services, and an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct competitor to Basel IT.
• SURF: Dutch cooperative providing ICT services for Dutch education and research. Comparable to SWITCH as a national academic-IT infrastructure provider — a thematically related ecosystem participant rather than a direct peer.

Direct peers

• TU Munich IT Services: Central IT department of the Technical University of Munich, one of Europe's largest technical universities. Delivers a comparable IT service portfolio (identity, network, M365, telephony, Service Desk) for a major academic community, with similar eduroam participation.
• KIT IT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology): Central IT organization (SCC) of the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, a major German technical university. Delivers analogous IT infrastructure, identity, and Service Desk services within the German academic network and eduroam.
• University of Zurich IT (ID): Informatics Department (Informatikdienste) of the University of Zurich. Runs a similar central IT portfolio for Switzerland's largest university, including identity, network, email, and end-user support, within the same SWITCH ecosystem.
• EPFL IT: Central IT organization of EPFL (École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne), another Swiss federal institute of technology. Provides analogous academic IT services (identity, network, M365, Service Desk) for the EPFL community in Lausanne.
• ETH Zurich IT Services: Central IT department of ETH Zurich, Switzerland's other leading public university. Operates a comparable portfolio of identity, network, email, telephony, and Service Desk services for a similar academic community, and shares the same SWITCH and eduroam ecosystem.
• University of St. Gallen IT: Central IT unit of the University of St. Gallen, another Swiss public university. Operates a comparable central IT portfolio (identity, network, end-user support) within the same SWITCH and eduroam ecosystem.
• University of Bern IT Services: Central IT organization of the University of Bern, another Swiss public university in the same national academic network. Operates comparable academic IT services within the SWITCH and eduroam federations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/universit%C3%A4t-basel-it-services

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Universität Basel IT-Services