A strong foundation based on trust

A high-performance, high-stability network. A digital identity that enables centralised access to services. The operation of the .ch domain as the heart of the Swiss internet and cybersecurity: for decades, SWITCH has helped facilitate research, teaching and innovation in Switzerland.

Pubblicato il 29.06.2021

Piz Daint is more than just a mountain in the Swiss Alps. It’s also the name of the world’s twelfth fastest supercomputer. Based near Lugano, it’s part of the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS), which houses several such high-performance computers. They are used for large-scale strategic research projects by universities and research institutions in Switzerland, as well as for missions of national interest.

Resilient digital infrastructures lay the foundation for our economic development and enable society to use digital services with confidence. (Photo: Dominik Aebli, SWITCH)

‘We rely on a network infrastructure that allows researchers from across Switzerland to send enormous amounts of data to us at the CSCS at maximum speed, and allows us to send it back to them. This needs to be done without interruption and, above all, reliably,’ says Thomas Schulthess, Director of the CSCS. ‘SWITCH has proven itself to be a partner that we can trust for many years now.’

Prof. Dr. Thomas Schulthess, Director, CSCS (Photo: CSCS)

The CSCS relies on a network infrastructure that allows researchers from across Switzerland to send enormous amounts of data to us at maximum speed, and allows us to send it back to them. This needs to be done without interruption and, above all, reliably. SWITCH has proven itself to be a partner I can trust for many years now.
Prof. Dr. Thomas Schulthess, Director, CSCS

Many other researchers in Switzerland use these SWITCH services every day – often without knowing exactly what’s behind them. The network through which researchers and lecturers connect with colleagues at home and abroad and through which they exchange huge volumes of data. The universal login to services such as cloud storage, online meetings, libraries and e-learning used by students and employees of Swiss universities. Operation of the registry for domain names with the extensions .ch and .li. The IT security that our communities can always rely on.

‘The strong trust that the education, research and innovation community has in us is, of course, also our obligation,’ says Daniel Bertolo, head of the Network team at SWITCH. ‘The fact that we can maintain performance, stability and security at this level without interruption is something I’m very proud of.’

Daniel Bertolo, SWITCH (Photo: Dominik Aebli, SWITCH)

The strong trust that the education, research and innovation community has in us is, of course, also our obligation. The fact that we can maintain performance, stability and security at this level without interruption is something I’m very proud of.
Daniel Bertolo, Head Network, SWITCH

For decades, SWITCH has been operating basic infrastructures not just for those involved in education, research and innovation in Switzerland, but also for organisations that operate critical infrastructures and the internet community in Switzerland. They can all rest assured that SWITCH’s services will be available 24 hours a day. It’s no coincidence that the universities network, the SWITCH Computer Emergency Response Team and the operation of .ch are now among the critical infrastructures in Switzerland.

Resilient digital infrastructures lay the foundation for our economic development and enable society to use digital services with confidence. This is why SWITCH will continue working with its partners and the public sector to increase stability and security further still.