Content about IT

CERN openlab is a unique public-private partnership between CERN and leading ICT companies. Founded in 2001 to develop the innovative ICT systems needed to cope with the unprecedented computing challenges of the Large Hadron Collider, CERN openlab unites science and industry at the cutting edge of research and innovation.

CERN openlab recently entered its fifth phase, which will run until the end of 2017. Now, for the first time in its history, it has extended beyond the CERN community to include other major European and international research laboratories. 

Hosted at CERN, UNITAR’s UNOSAT program examines global satellite imagery for humanitarian use. Whether they're providing maps for disaster response teams or assessing conflict damage to help reconstruction, their detailed reports are vital tools for aid workers. But how can satellite imagery help during a health crisis like the Ebola outbreak? 

Kuan Hon, research consultant to the Cloud Legal Project, recently came to CERN to discuss the work she and her project colleagues have been doing. She tells iSGTW why it’s important for researchers, businesses, and citizens alike to better understand the legal implications of entering into cloud computing contracts.

"Law always lags behind technology — just look at copyright issues for instance. And, because the pace of technological change is now so fast, it’s getting even harder for the law to catch up. Nevertheless, it’s important for businesses to know what the laws are and do the best they can to comply with them," says Hon.

A significant expansion of the CERN Computer Centre was inaugurated last week. The project, for which construction work began in April 2011, has seen the addition of a new computer room housing 90 new racks of servers, enabling critical systems to be decoupled from those deemed non-critical.