Boosting scientific efficiency: Institutional licenses transform image processing and data analysis operations

In the heart of Europe, the ETH Zurich in Switzerland hosts a renowned core facility and central technology platform: the Scientific Center for Optical and Electron Microscopy (ScopeM). Dr. Gábor Csúcs, the Technical Manager for Light Microscopy and Histology, passionately champions this facility's mission to support a diverse array of researchers across disciplines such as life sciences, geology, chemistry, and physics, and many other fields.

With an impressive collection of 60 microscopes – half light and half electron – the facility is a hub of innovation. It welcomes around 1,000 active users each year, including 400 new researchers. Dr. Csúcs and his team navigate a complex landscape of challenges daily. The heterogeneous, multivendor setup requires constant attention for maintenance, consultations, and user onboarding to ensure seamless operation and support for the research community.

ZEISS Institutional Licenses also transformed the facility's operations. They provide comprehensive access to the entire software suite with all modules. The users can access every toolkit and software piece from ZEISS all at once.

Dr. Csúcs remembers when institutional licenses had not yet been implemented. Each workstation was equipped with a single software license. Different machines could have different versions of the software with different processing modules. This limited the access to ZEN image analysis tools for multiple users at the same time and created a complex environment in which specific processing or analysis options were bound to specific computers.

With ZEISS Institutional Licenses, researchers now also benefit from direct access to the latest versions of all modules. The core facility IT team enjoys simplified license management, including access permissions and updates.

Floating licenses offer a higher level of flexibility when setting up a subscription. Dr. Csúcs notes that this adaptability allows them to respond to user needs and requests swiftly. "If demand increases, we can easily expand our number of licenses within the existing infrastructure," he says. "It’s all about being agile and responsive."

As Dr. Csúcs reflects on the journey, he realizes that the decision to adopt ZEISS Institutional Licenses has been transformative – he concludes with a sense of accomplishment. The ability to remain up-to-date and adapt to user demands with ease underscores the value of these licenses in supporting the facility's optimized operations and growth.