In this new KTP the Oxford e-Research Centre and Strategic Blue will apply cutting edge data science expertise in cloud ecosystem analysis to enhance the technologies underpinning its financial cloud brokerage services and data analytics products.

The work will build on previous analyses of the cloud computing ecosystem to inform consumer decision-making on appropriate cloud technologies and providers, and enhance the development of a resilient cloud market.

The University of Oxford has a history of successful Knowledge Transfer Partnerships, with 7 KTPs awarded since 2010.

Professor David Wallom, Associate Director - Innovation at the Oxford e-Research Centre said,

“Our work with the CloudWATCH and CloudWATCH2 projects has demonstrated the benefits of gaining a good understanding of the cloud ecosystem. Within this KTP, in partnership with Strategic Blue, we will extend quantitative methodologies by which we can better understand a particular use of cloud computing and who is the best fit provider for them. This has the possibility of transforming the current use of cloud and, we would hope, support the development of a complete market”.

Dr James Mitchell, CEO of Strategic Blue added, "Cloud computing is the new electricity. How we buy and sell this new utility service will have a profound impact on the way the market for IT services matures over the next decade.

As a leading London-based FinTech business, working in partnership with Oxford University’s e-Research Centre, we believe we can guide the cloud industry towards a healthy, self-regulating trading model. We [Strategic Blue] aspire to be the architects of cloud trading models that underpin a transparent resale market; our trading models precede, and influence, the next stage of evolution for the Information Technology market.

We are demonstrating that the implementation of fair resale and trading contracts, based on our experience in electricity and other more commodity-like markets, increases market confidence for cloud buyers. We are very excited that our financial cloud brokerage services will have the opportunity to benefit from Oxford’s unique interdisciplinary expertise in both energy and cloud markets. We further recognise the importance of the University’s KTP experience as a vital aspect of this project to ensure the results can be applied to the wider industry”.

A Data Science Research Associate is now being recruited to work within Strategic Blue. KTP is one of the UK’s largest graduate recruitment programmes and provides the opportunity for the Associate to be mentored by both industry and academic professionals. Dr Mitchell said of the appointment, “This is a unique opportunity for an outstanding PhD graduate to understand the pricing data behind the burgeoning cloud market, and to help bring innovative data products to life for our clients and partners. We are very much looking forward to collaborating with Oxford University through this project, and are grateful to Innovate UK for contributing funding - it will be an exciting 2 years".