NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Finnish firm BC Platforms said today that it will collaborate with Microsoft to use the Microsoft Azure cloud platform to provide genomic data management solutions to clinical researchers.
The partners plan to build a proof-of-concept case with researchers at University of Helsinki this year. "We are delighted to be providing these genomics solutions on Microsoft Azure, in collaboration with BC Platforms," Microsoft scientist David Heckerman said in a statement. "Together, we can provide a complete platform for the interpretation of complex genomic and clinical data across key international markets."
For BC Platforms, partnership with Microsoft will help the company expand its customer base. "With Microsoft Azure, we don't have to worry about setting up additional infrastructure or whether we can sustain growth with the current capacity in our data centers," BC Platform Chief Architect Timo Kanninen said in a statement.
Furthermore, "Microsoft is the first cloud provider recognized by the European Union's data protection authorities for the commitment [to] rigorous EU privacy laws," BC Platforms CEO Tero Silvola said in a statement. "[It] is one of the main reasons BC Platforms decided to implement our computing and analytics on Microsoft Azure."
Last year, BC Platforms partnered with the CSC-IT Center for Science and the University of Helsinki to develop a secure cloud computing service for managing and analyzing genomic data. The company also has signed agreements with Nexus Personalized Health Technologies and Auria Biobank to combine its data management platform with their respective systems.