This G-Cloud 10 service is no longer available to buy.

The G-Cloud 10 framework expired on Tuesday 2 July 2019. Any existing contracts with Meritec Limited are still valid.
Meritec Limited

Public Sector Cloud Hosting Service

Delivers a comprehensive hosted managed service including but not limited to each of the following: Windows, Intel, SQL Server, Linux, Oracle. Users can obtain new services quickly and pay for them flexibly including PAYG. This highly secure hosting service can and does include a full application managed service.

Features

  • Fully managed Infrastructure and environment
  • Proactive Applications Managed Service and Support
  • Services hosted in state of the art data centre
  • Cost effective solutions tailored to your needs
  • Various DR options available
  • Service Level Agreements tailored to clients needs
  • High Availability, excellent incident response and resolution
  • Responsive HelpDesk and web enabled call logging and monitoring
  • Virtualisation and non-virtualised platforms

Benefits

  • Rapid transition: speedy and painless take-on of services
  • On-demand access to robust, scalable and secure IT infrastructure
  • Rapid provisioning and enterprise-grade security, performance and transparency
  • Predictable costs, strong governance and service-level driven outcomes
  • Many years of experience in managed services reduces risk
  • Effective integration, management and governance of infrastructure services

Pricing

£7.98 a user a month

  • Education pricing available

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at adam.wilkinson@meritec.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 10

Service ID

5 5 7 3 3 9 2 3 9 4 1 5 4 6 1

Contact

Meritec Limited Adam Wilkinson
Telephone: 01756 699204
Email: adam.wilkinson@meritec.co.uk

Service scope

Service constraints
Meritec will perform non-essential updates on a defined schedule, normally outside of standard working hours. Customers will be given at least 2 weeks’ notice where possible of scheduled maintenance tasks. Essential updates, e.g. security patches, would be installed at the first available opportunity, to be agreed with the customer.
System requirements
No specific requirements

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
Support response times: Priority / Response Time 1/ 30 minutes 2/ 1 hour 3/ 4 hours 4/ 1 day. By agreement for weekends and bank holidays
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
No
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
Yes, at extra cost
Support levels
• Standard support level per SLA included in service cost • Alternative levels of support by agreement • A service manager is part of our standard service
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
A set-up facility and full user documentation is provided.
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
PDF
End-of-contract data extraction
A wide variety of formats and platforms are supported for secure export. Meritec can provide a "data out" policy if required.
End-of-contract process
• All client data returned to client
• All client access deactivated
• Relevant secure processes fully applied
• Above at standard cost

Using the service

Web browser interface
No
API
No
Command line interface
No

Scaling

Scaling available
Yes
Scaling type
Automatic
Independence of resources
Meritec cloud hosting service is supplied on the basis of guaranteed resources. This translates into a solution that is guaranteed to scale when you need it to, rather than when there's resource available to.
Usage notifications
No

Analytics

Infrastructure or application metrics
Yes
Metrics types
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • Memory
Reporting types
Regular reports

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Other security clearance
Government security clearance
Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

Asset protection

Knowledge of data storage and processing locations
Yes
Data storage and processing locations
United Kingdom
User control over data storage and processing locations
Yes
Datacentre security standards
Supplier-defined controls
Penetration testing frequency
At least once a year
Penetration testing approach
‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
Protecting data at rest
Encryption of all physical media
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
Equipment disposal approach
Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Backup and recovery

Backup and recovery
Yes
What’s backed up
  • Files
  • Virtual machines
  • Databases
  • All required data
Backup controls
All backup requirements are agreed at service take up and managed through our SLA process. Changed requirements are readily accommodated through our change control process. Service management is always available to engage with users.
Datacentre setup
Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
Scheduling backups
Supplier controls the whole backup schedule
Backup recovery
Users contact the support team

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
Private network or public sector network
Data protection within supplier network
IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
• Service Availability 99.9% (uptime) per month • Service Availability Window 7*24 hours (all days) – 24 hours a day • Response time for accessing screens - Should be within 3 seconds (at a minimum) 99% of the time • Response time for searches Response time for basic system searches for information and return of results system should be within 5 seconds 97% of the time Meritec will work with each of our customers on an individual basis to determine if a recompense model is required to meet the needs of the specific council or public department/ organisation. We strive to exceed, wherever possible, our SLA targets for service levels. In the unlikely event of failure to meet our SLA targets we would invoke the agreed process which would award an appropriate level of service credits by way of compensation.
Approach to resilience
Available on request
Outage reporting
Email alerts

Identity and authentication

User authentication
Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Access is restricted via rights and roles permission settings within the relevant area and channel. Often times these are linked to a Directory services such as MS AD.
Access restriction testing frequency
At least once a year
Management access authentication
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
  • Other
Devices users manage the service through
  • Dedicated device on a government network (for example PSN)
  • Dedicated device over multiple services or networks
  • Any device but through a bastion host (a bastion host is a server that provides access to a private network from an external network such as the internet)

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
At least 12 months
Access to supplier activity audit information
Users contact the support team to get audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
At least 12 months
How long system logs are stored for
At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
QMS International Limited
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
30/10/15
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
There are no exclusions in Meritec ISMS Statement of Applicability (Annex A) ISO 27001:2013 covers all aspects of Information Technology Security.
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
No
Other security certifications
Yes
Any other security certifications
Cyber Essentials

Security governance

Named board-level person responsible for service security
Yes
Security governance certified
Yes
Security governance standards
ISO/IEC 27001
Information security policies and processes
A copy of our Information Security Management System (ISMS) 150 pages is available on request.
Reporting structure is Help Desk Manager to IT Manager to IT Services Director to Director of Service Delivery.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Supplier-defined controls
Configuration and change management approach
Meritec Change Management process adheres to ITIL guidelines. Any Change in Meritec IT environment is processed through Change Control system. A change is logged on the system with following information: Change Description including the asset number of affected equipment; When Changed; Change Duration; Risk analysis; Regression plan; Security Implications; Change Technician. Details of change are emailed to all Stakeholders. Change is approved or rejected by CAB or its nominee. Technician updates the change stating if change was successful or not. All Meritec IT equipment is recorded on the Asset Register and any change is reflected in the Asset Register.
Vulnerability management type
Supplier-defined controls
Vulnerability management approach
Meritec: • monitors information systems to detect attacks and/or signs of potential attacks, including unauthorised network local or remote connections. • deploys monitoring devices strategically within information technology environment to collect information security events and associated information. • protects information obtained from intrusion-monitoring tools from unauthorised access, modification, and deletion. • monitors inbound and outbound communications traffic to/ from the information system for unusual or unauthorised activities or conditions. • heightens the level of information system monitoring activity whenever there is an indication of increased risk to Meritec operations, individuals and assets.
Protective monitoring type
Undisclosed
Protective monitoring approach
Our Protective Monitoring processes comprise a set of control alerts and reports that provide feedback to those with responsibility for monitoring and addressing compromises. This includes such information security control activities as inspecting firewall logs, investigating operating system security alerts and monitoring Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS). Our Protective Monitoring also includes putting in place mechanisms for collecting ICT log information and configuring ICT logs in order to provide an audit trail of security relevant events of interest. Compromises and incidents are immediately logged, analysed and rectified.
Incident management type
Undisclosed
Incident management approach
The Meritec ITIL compliant support desk called ServicePoint is responsible for receiving requests and notifications regarding user help and support. Incidents are allocated unique identification and calls are monitored and if necessary escalated as appropriate. The output report(s) provided by ServicePoint provide part of the preparations that the Service manager will use at the next Service Management meeting. Given due authorisation levels it is possible for client staff/management to access the calls database and enquire directly regarding status, progress, etc.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Supplier-defined process

Separation between users

Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart
No

Energy efficiency

Energy-efficient datacentres
Yes

Pricing

Price
£7.98 a user a month
Discount for educational organisations
Yes
Free trial available
No

Service documents

Request an accessible format
If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at adam.wilkinson@meritec.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.