Number: 32

Abbreviation: SWITCH

Activity : JRA1

Country: Switzerland

Federation : Germany and Switzerland

Web Portal : http://www.switch.ch

Contracting Partner : yes

SWITCH is a foundation with the task of “creating the necessary base for an efficient use of leadingedge telecommunication methods at the service of higher education and research in Switzerland`’ (statutes of SWITCH). The members of the foundation are the Swiss Confederation and the eight “cantons” supporting a University. Today SWITCH provides services to the eight Universities, 25 Universities of applied sciences, the two Federal Institutes of Technology, and several research sites. A team of 35 persons at the Zurich Head Office is responsible for the operation and development of the services. SWITCH meets the needs of Swiss universities by providing customized access to SWITCH's own national network with high-quality Internet technologies, providing fast connections to the world wide research networks as well as the commodity Internet providing advanced network services in the areas of videoconferencing, mobile network access and security operating a national authentication and authorization infrastructure, based on Shibboleth Maintaining excellentm international contacts.