CYCLONE · Project

Manage and Secure Your Apps Across Multiple Cloud Providers From One Dashboard

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Imagine you run your business software on three different cloud services — Amazon, Google, and a private server. Right now, managing all of them is like juggling three TV remotes that don't talk to each other. CYCLONE built a single control panel that lets you deploy, move, and secure your applications across all those clouds at once. It also handles the tricky networking and security between them, so your data stays protected as it travels between providers. The team tested this with real use cases in bioinformatics and energy, making sure it works for demanding, data-heavy applications.

By the numbers

EUR 2,846,402

EU funding for development

consortium partners

countries in consortium

total project deliverables

43%

industry partner ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Companies running applications across multiple cloud providers face a fragmented management nightmare — each cloud has its own deployment tools, networking rules, and security models. This means higher engineering costs, slower deployments, and security gaps at the boundaries between providers. Without a unified layer, geographic redundancy and cloud-to-cloud failover remain expensive custom projects rather than standard operations.

The solution

What was built

CYCLONE built an integrated multi-cloud management platform by combining and improving open-source tools: SlipStream for cloud deployment, OpenNaaS for network management, StratusLab for cloud middleware, and TCTP for secure communication. The consortium produced 27 deliverables including an overlay component manager specification, and maintained a continuous testbed validated by bioinformatics and energy sector users.

Audience

Who needs this

SaaS providers deploying across AWS, Azure, and private cloudsBioinformatics companies processing sensitive genomic data across distributed infrastructureEnergy utilities running distributed monitoring and analytics platformsManaged service providers offering multi-cloud hosting to enterprise clientsHealthcare IT companies needing secure cross-cloud data processing

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Cloud-based SaaS providers

any

Target: Application service providers running workloads across multiple cloud platforms

If you are a SaaS provider dealing with the headache of deploying and managing applications across multiple cloud environments — this project developed an integrated platform combining open-source tools like SlipStream and OpenNaaS that lets you orchestrate multi-cloud deployments from a single interface. It reduces the engineering overhead of managing geographic redundancy and cross-cloud networking, tested across 7 partners in 6 countries.

Bioinformatics and life sciences

mid-size

Target: Genomics labs and bioinformatics companies processing large datasets

If you are a bioinformatics company struggling to scale compute-heavy genomic analyses across cloud providers — CYCLONE was specifically designed and validated for your sector. The platform lets you burst workloads across private and public clouds while maintaining end-to-end security for sensitive research data, with built-in trust bootstrapping so your users can verify where their data is processed.

Energy and utilities

enterprise

Target: Energy companies running distributed monitoring and analytics platforms

If you are an energy company running distributed applications for grid monitoring or renewable energy analytics — CYCLONE built tools that let you place services and data near your end users across multiple cloud regions. The platform was validated with energy sector use cases and handles the networking and security layers automatically, freeing your team from managing multi-site cloud complexity.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt this multi-cloud management platform?

CYCLONE was built on open-source components (StratusLab, OpenNaaS, SlipStream, TCTP), meaning the core software carries no licensing fees. The EU invested EUR 2,846,402 in development across 7 partners. Your main costs would be integration effort and any support contracts with the consortium members.

Can this handle enterprise-scale, production cloud deployments?

The project was funded as an Innovation Action, which targets near-market readiness. CYCLONE maintained a continuous testbed for rapid prototyping and validation, and was designed specifically for application service providers managing complex multi-cloud environments. However, the project closed in 2017, so current production readiness would depend on whether consortium partners continued development.

Who owns the intellectual property and how is it licensed?

CYCLONE integrated existing open-source components, so the base technology is openly available. IP generated during the project would be shared among the 7 consortium partners according to their EU grant agreement. Contact the coordinator INTEROUTE S.P.A. for specific licensing terms on CYCLONE-specific additions.

How does CYCLONE handle security across multiple clouds?

The platform includes application-level security features and trust bootstrapping mechanisms that let providers define their own security policies across cloud boundaries. End-to-end network security management was a core design goal, not an afterthought. This means your users can trust the platform even when data moves between different cloud providers.

Is the technology still maintained after the project ended in 2017?

The project closed in December 2017. Whether the open-source components continue to be maintained depends on the individual communities behind StratusLab, OpenNaaS, SlipStream, and TCTP. Based on available project data, the consortium produced 27 deliverables during the project period. You would need to check current repository activity for maintenance status.

How hard is it to integrate with our existing cloud setup?

CYCLONE was built using agile methodologies and continuous delivery, integrating mature open-source tools rather than building from scratch. The platform provides resource abstractions that lower barriers between cloud providers, meaning it was designed to work with existing infrastructure rather than replace it.

Consortium

Who built it

The CYCLONE consortium brings together 7 partners from 6 countries (CH, DE, ES, FR, IT, NL), giving it broad European coverage. With 3 industry partners (43% of the consortium), including telecom infrastructure operator INTEROUTE S.P.A. as coordinator, the project had strong commercial grounding. The 2 university and 2 research partners provided the technical depth, while the 1 SME participant adds agility. Having a major telecom operator leading the project — rather than a university — signals that this was built with deployment in mind, not just academic exploration. The 27 deliverables produced suggest thorough documentation and a mature development process.

INTEROUTE S.P.A.Coordinator · IT
SIXSQ SAparticipant · CH
TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLINparticipant · DE
CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSparticipant · FR
FUNDACIO PRIVADA I2CAT, INTERNET I INNOVACIO DIGITAL A CATALUNYAparticipant · ES
UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAMparticipant · NL

How to reach the team

INTEROUTE S.P.A. (Italy) coordinated this project. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the development team.

Order a report on this consortium See INTEROUTE S.P.A. profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to know if CYCLONE's multi-cloud tools fit your infrastructure? SciTransfer can arrange a technical briefing with the consortium. Contact us for a free one-page solution brief.

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