UIS at the University of Cambridge

What UIS at the University of Cambridge does

UIS (University Information Services) is the central IT department of the University of Cambridge, established around 2000, providing digital infrastructure, business information, and computing services to approximately 30,000 students, staff, and research teams. Operating with a team of approximately 320 people and an annual budget of approximately £40 million, UIS delivers over 200 IT services including Europe's largest private ultrafast fibre optic network spanning 90+ kilometres across Cambridge, one of the UK's fastest academic supercomputers, and the world's fastest research computing storage platform. The department is headquartered in the Roger Needham Building on JJ Thomson Avenue in Cambridge, with additional operations at the West Cambridge Site.

The department's technology stack is built on modern DevOps practices using Google Cloud, Terraform, Docker, Python, Django, React, TypeScript, GitLab, and Linux, with CI/CD pipelines and CI/CD pipelines supporting cloud-native application development. UIS operates a platform-and-services model with the IT Help and Support website as its primary user-facing portal, complemented by Service Desk operations aligned to Service Desk Institute (SDI) standards with ITIL processes. Core capabilities span high-performance and research computing (HPC), cloud services, cybersecurity (Tanium, EDR), collaboration tools (Microsoft 365, Google Workspace), telecommunications, managed desktop services, identity and access management, and business information services supporting the University's digital transformation across education, research, and administration.

UIS is not a commercial entity; it is funded through the University of Cambridge's operational budget and capital investment programmes. Its go-to-market is direct-to-institution, delivering services to internal University members through a centralised Service Desk, self-service portals, and local department IT staff with escalation paths. As a government-state entity within a public university established by royal charter, UIS has no external investors, parent companies, or subsidiaries, and its strategic direction is governed by the Information Services Committee (ISC) formed in 2014 under the University Grace of 22 May 2013.

Name

UIS at the University of Cambridge

Legal name

University of Cambridge

Website

https://uis.cam.ac.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UIS is the central IT department of the University of Cambridge, providing digital infrastructure, research computing, and IT services to approximately 30,000 students, staff, and researchers. It operates Europe's largest private ultrafast fibre optic network and the UK's fastest academic supercomputer, funded through the university's £40 million annual budget.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education IT Services

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151), Telecommunications (517)

SIC

Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370), Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation (7374)

akta.pro primary industry

IT Knowledge Management & Service Desk Platforms (HDAEALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Identity & Access Support (IAM Service Desk) (BPAEAJAG), Identity & Access Management (SSO/MFA) for Education (EDAFALAI), Infrastructure, Networking & Systems Administration Training (BPAEANAJ), Enterprise Architecture & Technology Roadmapping (BPAEAAAC)

Keywords

• Higher education IT services
• Research computing services
• Campus network infrastructure
• Academic supercomputing
• Enterprise IT support

Headquarters

HQ city

Cambridge

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. University IT Services: As a central university department, UIS provides IT infrastructure and services funded through the University's annual budget of approximately £40 million. Services are provided to University members as part of institutional operations rather than commercial revenue generation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

UIS (University Information Services) is the central IT department of the University of Cambridge, providing digital infrastructure, business information, and computing services to approximately 30,000 students, 30,000 staff, and research teams. It delivers over 200 IT services including Europe's largest private ultrafast fibre optic network (90+ km), one of the UK's fastest academic supercomputers, cloud services, collaboration tools, cybersecurity, and a central Service Desk operating to SDI standards with ITIL-aligned processes.

Product overview

UIS provides a unified portfolio of over 200 IT services to approximately 30,000 students, staff, and research teams at the University of Cambridge. The portfolio operates as a platform-and-services model, with the IT Help and Support Website as the primary user-facing portal complemented by infrastructure services including Europe's largest private ultrafast fibre optic network (90km), research computing with one of the UK's fastest supercomputers, cloud services, collaboration tools (Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace), security services, and telecommunications. UIS serves as the central digital infrastructure provider supporting the University's digitisation transformation across education, research, and administration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IT Help and Support Website Self-service support portal at help.uis.cam.ac.uk providing troubleshooting tips, how-to guides, service status information, and service information for the University community.
• UIS Service Desk Single point of contact for IT support across the University, operating to Service Desk Institute (SDI) standards with ITIL-aligned processes and continual service improvement. Reachable via phone, email, and live chat.
• Email Services @cam.ac.uk email accounts provided to staff, students, and researchers across the University.
• WiFi Services Wireless networking service including eduroam coverage with over 11,000 wireless access points connecting approximately 40,000 daily users across University sites.
• Remote Access VPN VPN access service enabling staff remote access to University resources and systems.
• Research Computing Services High-performance computing (HPC) services including one of the UK's fastest academic supercomputers and the world's fastest research computing storage platform, supporting research groups in medical, engineering, astronomy, and climate science.
• Cloud Services Cloud infrastructure and services including Google Cloud deployment capabilities for cloud-native application development and modernisation.
• Collaboration Tools Productivity suites (Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace) offered to staff and students for document collaboration, communication, and teamwork.
• Data and File Storage Services Enterprise storage solutions for research and administrative data across the University.
• Security Services Cyber security services including antivirus protection, security awareness training, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), Tanium device management, and compliance with the Systems Management Policy.
• Fibre Optic Network Europe's largest private ultrafast fibre optic network spanning approximately 90 kilometres across the Cambridge city area, serving as the University's core network backbone.
• Desktop Services Managed desktop services including software deployment and device management for University endpoints.
• Telephone Services Telephone services including desk phones, mobiles, and Teams Telephony managed through the Telecoms Helpdesk.
• Video Conferencing and AV Studios Videoconferencing facilities and AV studio services supporting teaching, meetings, and remote collaboration.
• Printing Services Print, copy, and scan facilities available across University sites.
• Websites and Intranets Services Development and hosting services for University websites and internal intranet platforms.
• University Card Identity card system providing user IDs, access control, and integration with various University services.
• Multi-Factor Authentication Authentication system using sign-in to deliver various teaching, research, and administrative services securely.
• Apple Creator Studio Apple Creator Studio software suite distributed to University macOS devices via Self Service, replacing legacy iWork applications (Pages, Numbers, Keynote).

Quantifiable outcome

• Supports 60,000 University members across 200+ IT services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

AI capability4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Dell EMCcoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch Computing Services works with Dell EMC on high-performance computing projects, collaborating on some of the biggest medical, engineering and astronomy research projects.
• IntelcoreTechnology or IntegrationResearch Computing Services partners with Intel on cutting-edge high-performance computing innovation.
• Schmidt Sciences' Virtual Earth Systems Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICCS Research Software Engineers work closely with international teams including Schmidt Sciences' Virtual Earth Systems Research Institute to develop and improve climate modelling tools.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JISC: JISC is the UK higher-education sector's shared digital, network, and research infrastructure organisation. It provides Janet6 network, identity federation, and shared services that overlap with UIS but serves the entire UK HE sector rather than a single institution.

Others

• Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC): STFC operates national-scale HPC facilities (e.g., Hartree Centre, DiRAC) and research computing infrastructure across the UK. It is an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a direct peer, but the HPC capabilities are comparable to UIS's supercomputer operations.
• Internet2: Internet2 provides the US research and education network backbone plus shared identity, cloud, and trust services. It is an enabling infrastructure peer comparable in role to GÉANT, supporting the kinds of research networking UIS's fibre footprint enables.
• GÉANT: GÉANT operates the pan-European research and education networking backbone that complements eduroam and Janet services. As the European research networking layer UIS connects into, it is an adjacent enabling peer rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• University IT (UIT), Stanford University: Stanford UIT delivers service desk, network, identity, HPC, and cloud services across Stanford's academic and research enterprise. The operating model and technology stack mirror UIS's enterprise IT delivery for a research-intensive institution.
• Information Services Division, UCL: UCL ISD runs service desk, research computing, teaching technologies, and enterprise applications for a London-based Russell Group university. The breadth of academic and research service delivery is directly comparable to UIS's 200+ service portfolio.
• IT Services, University of Oxford: Oxford's central IT department provides service desk, identity, network, research computing, and digital services to a comparable Russell Group university community. The mandate, organisational structure, and service portfolio closely mirror UIS at Cambridge.
• ICT, Imperial College London: Imperial's ICT division delivers IT service desk, network, HPC, identity, and collaboration services to a UK research-intensive institution of similar scale. Heavy research computing focus and London-based operations make it a direct functional peer to UIS.
• MIT Information Systems & Technology (IS&T): MIT IS&T provides central IT, network, identity, HPC, and research computing services to a leading global research university. The combination of world-class research computing and broad campus IT services makes it an international functional peer to UIS.

Regional players

• National Computational Infrastructure (NCI Australia): NCI Australia operates flagship HPC and data services for Australian research institutions. It is comparable in HPC/research computing mandate but serves a different geographic region and does not directly compete with UIS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cambridge_uni
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cambridgeuniversity
• Facebookfacebook.com/cambridge.university
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unicamit
• Instagraminstagram.com/cambridgeuniversity

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about UIS at the University of Cambridge