Nextcloud is a cloud storage service whose version used by the University of Jyväskylä is hosted in the university's own data centre. Nextcloud makes it easy to store, access and share files on any device with an internet connection.
Nextcloud is comparable to large commercial cloud services (Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive), but it is managed by the university. In this way, the data remains on the university-managed disk space and does not end up on the servers of commercial operators.
It should be noted that Nextcloud is NOT at this stage a smooth tool for editing files simultaneously with another user like Office365, Teams or GoogleDocs. Possibilities for the introduction of co-writing applications will be explored.
Nextcloud allows you to view some of the most common file types (text files and media files) directly from your browser. However, we recommend using the actual editing tools.
Nextcloud is intended, in the first phase, to be the primary repository for university research. It will be automatically available to all staff members, and also to grant researchers who apply separately.
If the research projects involve students as data collectors or users, it is also possible to obtain Nextcloud access for these students for a limited period of time.
With commercial services, you don't know where your files are and they are basically at the mercy of the company providing the cloud service. The university's Nextcloud guarantees that your data lives in the university's own data centre. In the future, access to data can be managed in a centralised or decentralised way, depending on your needs. With Nextcloud from the University of Jyväskylä, you know what happens to your files. The university's own cloud allows the university and its researchers to have a real grip on one of the university's most important assets - its data. Using a single cloud service will also allow you to manage your data in the future.
A wide range of apps are available for Nextcloud to make your work easier. Their suitability for the university's production environment is under constant review and, where possible, they will be introduced as quickly as possible.
Nextcloud provides comprehensive documentation in English on how to use the application at: https://docs.nextcloud.com/server/latest/user_manual/en/