Most current applications in space weather rely on facilities and models that were primarily designed for fundamental research purposes, and for studying event-like objects. The growing need for a continuous monitoring of the space environment, and for near-real time availability of the data, has stimulated the development of alternate solutions.

Present means for monitoring the Sun and geospace include satellites with imagers and in-situ observations, and ground based instruments such as radars, magnetometers, and radio interferometers. All these instruments play a crucial role in developing the scientific underpinning of space weather. Some are also used by services. Models play an increasingly important role. Several are used to compensate for the lack of continuous observations, while others have been developed for nowcasting or forecasting purposes, with a major investment in solar information processing.

This contribution will give an overview of the existing facilities and services, with a focus on those in which the French community is deeply involved. The underlying physics will be addressed in the presentation given by L. Klein.