Technology Services has partnered with the top cloud platforms, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud Platform and Microsoft Azure, to provide a flexible, secure and compliant cloud computing experience for the Texas A&M community. This service replaces the AIP and STAR services. Public Cloud providers offer a variety of services and resources on demand to meet the needs of the Texas A&M researchers, faculty, staff and students.

Technology Service provides access to these services with the added benefit of a Master Contract, customized networking configuration, and campus subdomain and identity management services.

Getting Started

Scheduling a conversation with our team of cloud operations professionals is the fastest way to get started in the Public Cloud. Just email cloudops@tamu.edu.

Public Cloud providers use a “pay as you go” model and charge for usage based on consumption – you only pay for what you use. Each cloud provider provides detailed pricing calculators that provide estimates for monthly charges you may incur.

Public Cloud Pricing Calculators

• Amazon Web Services (AWS)

• Researchers with NIH grants or performing biomedical research, contact us about our STRIDES cloud pricing and additional program information.

• Google Cloud Platform (GCP)

• Microsoft Azure

All accounts are subject to minimal charges related to security compliance measures, even if there are no resources in the account. Contact cloudops@tamu.edu for assistance with cost estimations.

Public Cloud providers offer many of the same services. For more information about services or for guidance on the best tools for your needs, please email cloudops@tamu.edu.

Compute	EC2	Compute Engine	Azure VM’s
Database	RDS	Datastore, Firestore	Microsoft Azure SQL
Storage	S3, EBS, EFS	Object Storage, Block Storage, File Storage	Blob Storage
TAMU Network Connections	Direct Connect		Azure Express Route
Serverless	Lambda	Cloud Functions, Cloud Run	Azure Web Application Firewall
AI/ML	SageMaker	Vertex AI, Gemini	Copilot
Archival Storage, Backup	S3 Glacier, Glacier Deep Archive	Archive Storage	Archive Storage

See references below for additional Public Cloud services and details:

• AWS: AWS services by category - Overview of Amazon Web Services
• GCP: Products and Services | Google Cloud
• Azure: Directory of Azure Cloud Services | Microsoft Azure

The Texas A&M Public Cloud offering is part of our Enterprise Compute Environment (ECE). The ECE operates under a shared responsibility model, where both the ECE Management Team and account owners play vital roles in ensuring the security, performance, and cost management of their environments. This collaborative approach ensures that Texas A&M’s Public Cloud service remains efficient, cost-effective, and aligned with Texas A&M University System standards. 

The Public Clouds offers many features and benefits for a variety of use cases.

• Cost Efficient
  • Pay-as-you-go Model: Users pay only for the resources they use, reducing upfront costs.
  • No Maintenance Costs: The cloud provider handles hardware and software maintenance, saving money on IT staff and infrastructure.
  • Energy Efficient: Centralized data centers operate at high efficiency, reducing overall environmental impact compared to on-premises data centers.
• Scalable
  • On-demand Resources: Platforms scale up or down quickly based on the user’s needs.
  • Global Reach: Cloud providers offer services across multiple regions, ensuring high availability and low latency.
  • Dynamic Resource Allocation: Resources can be adjusted automatically in response to workload changes.
• Flexible and Accessible
  • Diverse Offerings: Cloud platforms provide IaaS, PaaS, and SaaS models, catering to varied business needs.
  • Marketplace Integrations: Access to third-party services and APIs for extended functionality.
  • Anywhere Access: Users can access resources from anywhere with an internet connection. Ideal for distributed teams, enabling collaboration across geographies.
• Emphasis on Innovation
  • Faster Deployment: Services and applications can be deployed quickly without worrying about underlying infrastructure.
  • Access to Advanced Tools: Public cloud providers offer cutting-edge technologies like AI, machine learning, and big data analytics.
  • Test and Experiment: Organizations can try new ideas and technologies with minimal risk and expense, accelerating innovation.
• Secure and Reliable
  • High Uptime: Public cloud providers ensure robust infrastructure with high availability SLAs.
  • Disaster Recovery: Built-in backup and recovery options provide added security.
  • Advanced Security Measures: Providers invest heavily in security tools, threat detection, and compliance.