SOFTCAT PLC

IBM Lot 2b: Software as a Service (SaaS) Services

All IBM Lot 2b services as per the service definitions and pricing

Features

• Single, simple, flexible offering for business automation

Benefits

• Faster time to service/time to change–typically 80%

• Free trial available

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

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 psitq@softcat.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

331129227972378

Contact

Public Sector Tenders
01628 403403
psitq@softcat.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  Application Development and Deployment

  Application development

  • Development languages, environments and tools
  • Software construction components
  • Business rules management

  Modelling and architecture

  • Object Modelling Tools
  • Business Process Modelling Tools
  • Enterprise Architecture Tools
• Multi cloud support: No

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Public cloud
• Service constraints: Cloud Services are designed to be available 24/7,; subject to maintenance. Client will be notified of; scheduled maintenance.
• System requirements: Suitable browser for interacting with the SaaS application

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: Overview of the IBM Support can be found here:; https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-supportguide Specific information regarding levels of; support and response time can be found here:; https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibmenterprise-support-and-preferred-care-optionscloud-services.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Yes
• Web chat support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Web chat accessibility testing: IBM Cloud includes the following major; accessibility features: - Keyboard-only operation. -; Operations that use a screen reader. IBM Cloud; uses the latest W3C Standard, WAI-ARIA 1.0 to; ensure compliance to US Section 508 and Web; Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. To; take advantage of accessibility features, use the; latest release of your screen reader in; combination with the latest Internet Explorer web; browser that is supported by this product. The IBM; Cloud online product documentation and the IBM; Cloud user interface framework is enabled for; accessibility. Information concerning accessibility; can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/able/
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Standard IBM product support is included in the; subscription. See the IBM Cloud Service overview; site for full details -; https://www.ibm.com/support/pages/ibm-cloud-service-overview. This includes - 24/7 web and; phone support - Response time SLAs for Severity; 1-4 tickets - Escalation process "The IBM; Software Accelerated Value Program for SaaS; (“AVP for SaaS”)" Support offerings (at additional; cost) is also documented above. The IBM support; site also includes an Watson based support; chatbot, searchable knowledge base and an; active community site.
• Support available to third parties: Yes
• AI chatbot: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Full documentation, tutorials, video guides; available. On-site and on-line training is also; available
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data is accessible through several export; functions available in via the administration; console and design tools. IBM will return the Client; Data within a reasonable period in a reasonable; and common format upon receiving written; instructions from the Client prior to termination or; expiration
• End-of-contract process: Details can be found in IBM's Client Relationship; Agreement:; https://www.ibm.com/support/customer/csol/terms/
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AA

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: All provided user interfaces are responsive.; Screens created within the system are responsive; and tools allow for sophisticated reactions to; different form factors. NOTE: Development is not; available on mobile.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Description of service interface: Portal to access tools provided by the system.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.2 AA
• Accessibility testing: Accessibility testing; Information concerning accessibility can be found; here: https://www.ibm.com/able/
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: What users can and can't do using the API; Please review documentation for information on; wide ranging API support.; https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/dbaoc?; topic=environments-api-reference
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Many aspects of the service can be customised; including user interface through to full; customisation via the accessible APIs

Scaling

• Independence of resources: The architecture of IBM cloud services maintains; logical separation of client data. Internal rules and; measures separate data processing, such as; inserting, modifying, deleting, and transferring; data, according to the contracted purposes.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Administrators and operations staff can register; and track the metrics of current product instances; to understand how they are being used
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: No
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller (no extras)
• Organisation whose services are being resold: IBM

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 4.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v4.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation / Secure Erase

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Data is accessible through several export; functions available via the administration console; and design tools
• Data export formats: Other
• Data import formats: Other

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Please refer to following site:; https://www.ibm.com/support/customer/csol/terms/; ?id=i126-9268&lc=en
• Approach to resilience: Available on request
• Outage reporting: Email alerts

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: IBM maintains individual role-based authorization; of privileged accounts that is subject to regular; validation. A privileged account is a duly; authorized IBM user identity with administrative; access to a Cloud Service, including associated; infrastructure, networks, systems, applications,; databases and file systems
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password

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: Between 1 month and 6 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

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: IBM has an Information Technology (IT) Security; policy that establishes the requirements for the; protection of IBM's worldwide IT systems and the; information assets they contain, including; networks and computing devices such as servers,; workstations, host computers, application; programs, web services, and telephone systems; within the IBM infrastructure. IBM’s IT Security; policy is supplemented by standards and; guidelines, such as the Security Standards for; IBM's Infrastructure, the Security and Use; Standards for IBM Employees and the Security; Guidelines for Outsourced Business Services.; Such are reviewed by a cross-company team led; by the IT Risk organization every six months. IBM; has a dedicated Vice President of IT Security who; leads a team responsible for IBM's own enterprise; data security standards and practices.; Responsibility and accountability for executing; internal security programs is established through; formal documented policies. IBM Services teams also have dedicated executives and teams who; are responsible for information and physical; security in the delivery of our client services
• Software Security Code of Practice: Yes

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: IBM maintains policies and procedures to manage; risks associated with the application of changes to; its Cloud Services. Prior to implementation, all; changes to a Cloud Service, including its systems,; networks and underlying components, will be; documented in a registered change request that; includes a description and reason for the change,; implementation details and schedule, a risk; statement addressing impact to the Cloud Service; and its clients, expected outcome, rollback plan,; and documented approval by IBM management or; its authorized delegate.
• Vulnerability management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: With each Cloud Service, as applicable and; commercially reasonable, IBM will a) perform; penetration testing and vulnerability assessments; before production release and routinely thereafter,; b) enlist a qualified and reputable independent; third-party to perform penetration testing and; ethical hacking at least annually, c) perform; automated management and routine verification of; underlying components’ compliance with security; configuration requirements, and d) remediate any; identified vulnerability or noncompliance with its; security configuration requirements based on; associated risk, exploitability, and impact. IBM; takes reasonable care to avoid Cloud Service; disruption when performing its tests, assessments,; scans, and execution of remediation activities.
• Protective monitoring type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: IBM maintains and follows policies requiring; administrative access and activity in its Cloud; Services’ computing environments to be logged; and monitored, and the logs to be archived and; retained in compliance with IBM’s worldwide; records management plan. IBM monitors; privileged account use and maintain security; information and event management policies and; measures designed to a) identify unauthorized; administrative access and activity, b) facilitate a; timely and appropriate response, and c) enable; internal and independent third party audits of; compliance with such policies. IBM systematically; monitors the health and availability of production; Cloud Service systems and infrastructure at all; times
• Incident management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v4.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: IBM: -maintains and follows incident response; policies aligned with NIST guidelines for computer; security incident handling, and will comply with; data breach notification requirements under; applicable law. -investigates security incidents,; including unauthorised access or use of content or; the Cloud Service, of which IBM becomes aware,; and, if warranted, define and execute an; appropriate response plan. -promptly notifies; Client upon determining that a security incident; known or reasonably suspected by IBM to affect; Client has occurred. -provides Client with; reasonably requested information about such; security incident and status of applicable; remediation and restoration activities performed or; directed by IBM
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: No

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: IBM Cloud Pak for Business Automation as a; Service has a free, full featured, 30 days trial; available
• Link to free trial: Link to free trial https://www.ibm.com/products/cloud-pak-for

Discount percentage by annual call-off contract value (excluding VAT)

• Less than £250,000: 0%
• Between £250,000 and £500,000: 0%
• Between £500,001 and £1,000,000: 0%
• Between £1,000,001 and £2,500,000: 0%
• Between £2,500,001 and £5,000,000: 0%
• Over £5,000,001: 0%

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: NQA
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: Monday 8 April 2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• ISO 9001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO 9001 certification: NQA
• ISO 9001 accreditation date: Monday 8 April 2024
• What the ISO 9001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: SecurityMetrics
• PCI DSS accreditation date: Friday 10 January 2025
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: N/A
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Certificate Number: E9fd5f85-7cd1-4ff2-aba9-6f9f5f225b1b
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Please provide your Cyber Essentials Plus Certificate Number: 181966c9-f0aa-42ed-9271-d1b111bdf43b
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: Security Standards dependant on the vendor solution

Social value

• Section B - Commitment for Future: Delivery:

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 1: Fair work: That offers fair wages and good working conditions. Help people get a job, stay in work, and progress in their careers, with good employment opportunities across the country. Notes: Where there is a large proportion of labour costs in the contract, commercial teams should consider MAC in Outcome 1 as a priority

    • New apprenticeships on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b
    • Providing opportunities for, and measuring and monitoring of, staff workforce conditions over time, including employee engagement, involvement in decision-making and satisfaction and adapting to any changes in the results, with clear processes for acting on issues identified
    • Plans to engage the contract workforce in deciding the most important workplace issues to address
    • Ensuring new workers are informed of their right to join a trade union
    • Monitoring of employee engagement rates (by protected characteristic) and, where necessary, the development of actions to ensure all voices are heard across the diversity of the workforce
    • Employment contracts that reflect actual hours worked; steps taken to ensure employees understand their contracts and have the ability to review and adjust them if actual hours regularly exceed contracted hours
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about, and feel empowered to, address their physical wellbeing
    • Activities that support an environment where staff are educated about and feel empowered to report and address bullying and harassment
    • Offer a pay and leave entitlement to all eligible staff who become kinship carers, ideally equivalent to statutory adoption pay and leave
    • Payment of more than the National Minimum Wage or National Living Wage (as appropriate) to the contract workforce
    • Monitoring and reporting of gender and ethnicity pay gaps and plans to address them where necessary
    • Entitlement to sick pay for the contract workforce, with provision in place for any staff who do not meet the earnings threshold for statutory sick pay, payment of sick pay from day one of absence and payment of staff on the contract workforce who are off sick a replacement income of 100% of their usual earnings for as long as possible
    • Plans for an appropriate income replacement policy for staff who are required to spend time away from work to care for a sick dependent or close relative
    • Understanding of in-work progression issues affecting the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Measures to support in-work progression to help people in the contract workforce, to move into higher paid work by developing new skills relevant to the contract
    • Support for the contract workforce by providing career advice, and providing opportunities for staff working on the contract with in-work progression career development into known skills shortages or high growth areas
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Volunteering opportunities for staff
    • Understanding of the modern slavery risks and issues affecting the market, industry, sector or country (of origin or of source) relevant to the contract, and the workforce in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key subcontractors
    • Outline policies and practices to be applied to or put in place for the contract to mitigate and manage modern slavery risks, including: Pre-employment checks, recruitment practices. Workplace conditions, safeguarding plans and processes in place and regular monitoring with relevant groups considered, which may include sampling
    • Means of influencing staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders with respect to modern slavery risks relating to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 2: Skills for growth: Supporting growth sectors and addressing skills gaps.

    • Understanding of employment and relevant skills issues, and of the education and training issues relating to the contract. Illustrative examples: demographics, skills shortages, new opportunities in high growth sectors, geographic/local community and skills/employment challenges
    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Activities to support relevant sector related skills growth and sustainability in the contract workforce. Illustrative examples: careers talks, curriculum support, literacy support, safety talks and volunteering
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • Mission: Kick start economic growth. To secure the highest sustained growth in the G7 - with good jobs and productivity growth in every part of the country making everyone, not just a few, better off.

    Policy Outcome 3: Resilient, innovative and flexible supply chains: Support economic growth through enabling resilient businesses, opportunities for small businesses and voluntary, community and social enterprises

    • Understanding of the types of businesses in the market and the level of participation by new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Activities to identify opportunities to open up sub-contracts under the prime contract to a diverse range of businesses, including new businesses, entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, VCSEs and mutuals
    • Plans for engaging a diverse range of businesses in engagement activities prior to appointing subcontractors (including activities prior to award of the main contract and during the contract term)
    • Ensuring accessibility to contracting and subcontracting opportunities for disabled business owners and employees
    • Support for community-led initiatives relevant to the contract. Illustrative examples: improving transport links; reducing loneliness; helping with English language proficiency; and facilitating social mixing among people with different backgrounds

  • Mission: Make Britain a clean energy superpower: To cut bills, create jobs and deliver security with cheaper, zero-carbon electricity by 2030, accelerating to net zero

    Policy Outcome 4: Sustainable procurement practices: Reducing carbon footprints, minimising waste, and promoting the use of clean energy and green technologies.

    • Understanding of opportunities for additional environmental benefits delivery in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Collaborative ways of working with the supply chain to deliver additional environmental benefits in the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Delivery of additional environmental benefits through the performance of the contract, including working towards net zero carbon emissions and use of clean energy and green technologies
    • Understanding of how to influence staff, suppliers, customers, communities and/or any other appropriate stakeholders through the delivery of the contract to support climate and nature protection and improvement
    • Activities to reconnect people with the environment and increase awareness of ways to protect and enhance it

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 6: Employment and training: For those who face barriers to employment

    • Understanding of employment and skills issues, and of the skills and employment shortages of high growth sectors relating to the contract
    • Creation of employment opportunities particularly for those who face barriers to employment, such as prison leavers, care leavers and/or who are located in deprived areas, and for people in industries with known skills shortages or in high growth sectors
    • Delivery of training schemes and programmes to address any identified skills gaps and under-representation in the workforce for the contract (e.g. prison leavers, care leavers, kinship carers, disabled people)
    • Understanding of the issues affecting the representation of disabled people in the workforce in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors
    • Collection of the views and expertise of disabled people and their representative organisations on successfully supporting disabled employees or applicants
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, and retention-focused activities, including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition
    • Introducing transparency to pay and reward processes
    • Offering a range of quality opportunities with routes of progression if appropriate, e.g. T Level industry placements, students supported into higher level apprenticeships.
    • Working conditions which promote an inclusive working environment and promote retention and progression
    • Other measures to provide equality of opportunity for disabled people and those with health conditions into employment, including becoming a Disability Confident employer and inclusion of supported businesses in the contract supply chain
    • Understanding of the issues affecting inequality in employment, skills and pay in the market, industry or sector relevant to the contract, and in the supplier’s own organisation and those of its key sub-contractors. Measures to tackle inequality in employment, skills and pay in the contract workforce
    • Inclusive and accessible development practices, including guidance for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing people with a disability or health condition

  • Mission: Break down barriers to opportunity: By reforming our childcare and education systems, to make sure there is no class ceiling on the ambitions of young people in Britain

    Policy Outcome 7: Creating a pipeline of opportunities: For the contract workforce, reducing barriers to entry for under-represented groups.

    • Understanding of the issues affecting the development of new skills by target cohort
    • Understanding of the underlying factors affecting improvements to reduce barriers to entry and training schemes for the target cohort(s) related to the contract workforce
    • Other measures to offer development opportunities for the target cohort(s) in the contract workforce
    • Understanding of issues relating to entering the contract workforce
    • Creation of outreach activities to create a pipeline of employees for the future contract delivery
    • Content of the outreach activity is designed to suit the target cohort

  • Mission: Build an NHS fit for the future: That is there when people need it; with fewer lives lost to the biggest killers; in a fairer Britain, where everyone lives well for longer.

    Policy Outcome 8: Increasing productivity through physical and mental wellbeing: In the supply chain and communities in the relevant area.

    • Understanding of issues relating to health and wellbeing, including physical and mental health, in the contract workforce
    • Understanding barriers to access to health and social care services or employment opportunities e.g. digital inclusion
    • Inclusive and accessible recruitment practices, development practices and retention policies that support-focused activities including those provided in the Guide for line managers on recruiting, managing and developing which support people with a disability or health condition
    • Actions to invest in the physical and mental health and wellbeing of the contract workforce

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

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 psitq@softcat.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.