Oxford to trial new GenAI gateway service from Microsoft and Cloudforce

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AI adoption is rising rapidly, and offering inclusive access to a range of secure generative AI platforms, tools and agents is a key part of our evolving digital approach.”

— Mark Bramwell, CDIO, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

UNITED KINGDOM, December 1, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As part of its generative AI provision, the University of Oxford is collaborating with Microsoft partner, Cloudforce, to pilot nebulaONE^®, a new AI gateway service designed to facilitate secure and inclusive access to a range of advanced AI capabilities through a single platform.

The pilot of around 200 research, teaching and professional services staff in academic departments is an extension of Oxford’s ongoing strategic partnership with Microsoft. It builds on an initial deployment of the nebulaONE platform by the Saïd Business School in Oxford, this summer, and follows a rollout to all staff and students of ChatGPT Edu, along with access to Microsoft Copilot Chat, Google Gemini and NotebookLM.

The new gateway service from Cloudforce has been developed in collaboration with Microsoft. It enables the provisioning of various large language models (LLMs) through a single, secure, private environment, which can be tailored to a university’s research, academic, and operational requirements. Users have the flexibility to explore a range of AI models in a customisable ‘workshop’ environment and select the most appropriate tool for any given task.

The new service is designed to enable users to start leveraging AI capabilities from day one, whatever their level of technical competence. It offers access to different AI models and providers within a single secure environment enabled by Microsoft Azure technology, and scope for new AI models and capabilities to be incorporated in future, as technologies evolve. Use of the gateway will enable the university to safeguard its sensitive and proprietary data, eliminating the inherent risk associated with using public chatbots.

Mark Bramwell, Head of Strategic Digital Partnerships in the University’s Digital Governance Unit, and Chief Digital and Information Officer at Saïd Business School, said: ‘AI adoption is rising rapidly, and offering inclusive access to a range of secure generative AI platforms, tools and agents is a key part of our evolving digital approach. This summer we were pleased to work with Cloudforce to enable access to nebulaONE for our business school professional services staff, faculty and researchers. Now Oxford is expanding that provision to trial it with a group of academics and researchers, and professional services colleagues in the wider University, to explore its potential for enhancing the way we work and interact with AI.’

Responsible AI Development

Through its existing provision of generative AI accounts, training and guidance, the University of Oxford has highlighted the importance of ensuring safe and responsible use of AI for work and study from a range of perspectives, including information security and data protection, academic integrity, health and welfare, and appropriate use in different academic disciplines.

‘At Oxford, we see AI not as a tool of the future but as a capability that needs to be deployed responsibly in the present, with training and guidance on appropriate use’, said Alwyn Collinson, Head of the University’s dedicated AI Competency Centre. ‘We’re interested in the way nebulaONE brings together accessibility, security and flexibility for users. These are key pillars for ensuring that every member of the University who wishes to can develop their AI skills and harness the latest technology to innovate, inquire, and lead.’

Participants in the new pilot will have the opportunity to access a range of secure AI agents through Cloudforce’s new service. In return, they will provide valuable insight to guide the gateway’s future features, integrations and development priorities, to make sure it continues to meet the needs of world-class institutions.

As the pilot develops, there is scope to progressively introduce additional functionalities, tailored specifically to the needs of the university community.

Empowering Academic Excellence and Operational Innovation

Previous pilots of generative AI at Oxford have revealed a range of use-cases in different parts of the university, including enhancing academic research capabilities, streamlining administrative operations, and supporting teaching and learning.

By trialling the new gateway service, Oxford is joining a growing cohort of forward-thinking institutions across the globe who are making similar commitments. As more universities follow Oxford’s lead, it is hoped that the network effect will drive further collaborative insights, collective learning, and shared innovation across the sector.

‘We are thrilled to welcome Oxford to the rapidly expanding network of leading universities embracing inclusive, secure provision of AI,’ said Jen Wyatt, Director of Education for Microsoft UK. ‘The university’s commitment to meaningfully advancing the conversation around responsible AI integration in education sets a high bar and accelerates the momentum we are seeing in the sector, worldwide. Insight from this pilot will help to guide an innovation pathway for other institutions to follow and we hope it will inspire a wave of secure AI adoption across the UK and beyond.’

‘Oxford’s influence in the global Higher Education ecosystem cannot be understated,’ said Husein Sharaf, Founder and CEO at Cloudforce. ‘Their voice and leadership are crucial to shaping the approach of hundreds of other top-tier institutions in the US, UK, and beyond as we all collectively navigate the AI journey.’

To find out more about how institutions are partnering with Microsoft and Cloudforce on AI acceleration, visit https://aka.ms/MSFTEDU-Cloudforce-nebulaONE.

About Cloudforce
Cloudforce is a global leader in secure AI for higher education, healthcare, and enterprise organizations and is Microsoft’s 2025 Education Partner of the Year. Its flagship product, nebulaONE^®, provides a private, integrated, customizable gateway to every GenAI model and capability, enabling organizations to responsibly scale AI adoption with confidence.
For media enquiries, contact: Arija Rahman | marketing@gocloudforce.com | 202-803-6500

About the University of Oxford
Oxford University has been placed number 1 in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings for a record ten consecutive years. At the heart of this success are the twin pillars of ground-breaking research and innovation and a distinctive educational offer. Oxford is world-famous for research and teaching excellence and home to some of the most talented people from across the globe. It helps the lives of millions, solving real-world problems through a huge network of partnerships and collaborations. The breadth and interdisciplinary nature of its research, alongside its personalised approach to teaching, sparks imaginative and inventive insights and solutions.

Arija Rahman
Cloudforce
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