G7 Business Solutions Ltd

Public Sector Enterprise Cloud Hosting

Wide ranging including services such as enterprise cloud hosting, cyber security services and immutable backups. Also independently hosting a wide range of applications such as Unit4 ERP (see separate service ID), OpenRevenues, University Systems etc, delivering a fast, reliable, secure, highly available, dedicated and robust system to all users

Features

• 99.9% availability, backed by service credits
• Maximum security, backed by impressive accreditations
• 24/7 manned service desk for peace of mind
• Cutting edge platform, with VPN links as standard (if required)
• Independent Application Hosting (OpenRevenues, SMART, University and health systems etc)
• Exceptional auditing and security to ensure good corporate governance
• Advanced disaster recovery services
• Penetration testing, detection & response controls, cyber security managed service
• High security IDS service running to keep customers safe
• Fully automated environment refreshes where possible

Benefits

• Low cost of ownership & cost effective solution
• Expert 24/7 Technical Managed Service Support
• Unlimited scaleability - no system too big or too small
• Database and system performance tuning as standard
• Continuous knowledge-share with in-house teams
• Multi-factor authentication and SSO support
• Unlimited off-site backups for 'bulletproff' audit accountability
• Exceptional business continuity cover for total service coverage
• Compliance assistance and technical project management as standard
• 24/7 fully managed active cyber security monitoring

£12,000 a unit a year

• Education pricing 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 g7info@g7bs.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

202278018014543

Contact

Julie Munt
01275 844650
g7info@g7bs.com

Service scope

• Service constraints: None
• System requirements:
  • A modern PC with internet connectivity is typically required
  • VPN's (if required) require customer firewalls (or equivalent)

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Response time is 1 hour, which is the same at weekends
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: None or don’t know
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: Web chat
• Web chat support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web chat support is accessible: The web chat supports any modern browser and has options such as text chat (for users that are hearing impaired) and screen share for users to be fully assisted by a support technician
• Web chat accessibility testing: None so far
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: The cloud hosting solutions come with full managed service support. The support levels are calculated based on the size of the system and its complexities but there are gradual increases depending on the number of users, complexity etc., as might be expected. These are documented in the associated documentation. All contracts include technical project management, account management and cloud support as standard.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: A bespoke customer system reference document is provided. This details all the resources available to users, the URLs and how to access and use them. It also includes training for in-house IT teams to support users (which is delivered via distance training, telephone or online tools). As would be expected, there are technical workshops and a technical kick-off delivered as part of the services and this is provided as part of the overall package. This ensures that all stakeholders can be confident that their requirements have been included in the decision making process and that they have been captured by QuickThink Cloud's analysis and engineers
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • ODF
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: This is entirely up to the users but QTC support full database backups, full SFTP transfer of files / resources or the user can simply export their data directly from the system using web services or other online tools that are provided as part of the cloud service delivery (depending on the system architecture required).
• End-of-contract process: All end of contract off-boarding exercises are covered under the contract. The data will ultimately be destroyed, but if it is still required it can be provided to a third-party or to the customer directly via database backup, SFTP file transfer or any other method required. The customer is contacted by their account manager well in advance of this event to ensure that they're comfortable with the offboarding process and the data repatriation. The data can also be obtained on a self-service basis by the customer (directly) depending on the services that they; have taken. Regardless of the method, this repatriation is included within the service fee unless there are additional requirements outside the standard repatriation routines.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: For any desktop client deployments, a web portal is supplied to allow users to launch their applications. Also, incidents can be logged via the web interface
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: Text to speech function is available making it easy and quick to listen to the text that's written on the screen. For the visually impaired, the text has been adapted to provide enhanced readability through stronger contrasts and increased size
• Web interface accessibility testing: In progress
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Any API's supported by the relevant applications are supported
• API automation tools:
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • OpenStack
  • SaltStack
  • Terraform
  • Puppet
  • Other
• Other API automation tools: The APIs are open to use through any automation software
• API documentation: No
• Command line interface: No

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type:
  • Automatic
  • Manual
• Independence of resources: CPU / disk contention is kept to a minimum (and throttled), with all customers enjoying dedicated RAM. The system architecture ensures no 'noisy neighbours' and total network / disk segmentation. Continuous 24/7 monitoring assesses the workload each server / service is under and reports back to service engineers if any performance thresholds have been reach /breached.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting: Email

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • HTTP request and response status
  • Memory
  • Network
  • Number of active instances
  • Other
• Other metrics:
  • Core user numbers
  • Custom application metrics
• Reporting types:
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: QuickThink Cloud

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Up to 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 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a Tigerscheme qualified provider or a CREST-approved service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Hardware containing data is completely destroyed
• 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:
  • Virtual Machines
  • SQL server, Oracle & MySQL databases (and others)
  • Application Configurations
  • Files & Folders
  • System States
  • Customised reports
  • Bare metal
• Backup controls: Users identify what they would like to back up (along with a consultant) and the backups are setup with the relevant schedule and retention periods. This includes a GDPR discussion to assist with data protection responsibilities as well as a DPIA.
• Datacentre setup:
  • Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
  • Multiple datacentres
  • Single datacentre with multiple copies
  • Single datacentre
• Scheduling backups: Supplier controls the whole backup schedule
• Backup recovery:
  • Users can recover backups themselves, for example through a web interface
  • Users contact the support team

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • 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
  • Other
• Other protection within supplier network: IPS / IDS

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: Guarantees the functioning of all cloud server hosts including the hypervisor, with a 99.9% availability for all hosted systems. In the unlikely event of host failure, HA will automatically restart the affected VM onto a healthy host. Further to this, there are multiple levels of disaster recover /; business continuity that allow for various setups from 'Advanced DR', where there is frequent replication between site, through to 'Always On',; where there is absolute parity between the primary and secondary datacentres for unrivalled resilience. If the service fails to meet any of these availability commitments, the Customer shall be; entitled to service credits.
• Approach to resilience: Available on request
• Outage reporting: Service outages are reported via email and also via the customer's online portal.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • 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: Access to management interfaces is strictly controlled, uses 2-Factor authentication and does not include any user access. Only security; cleared staff have access to management interfaces. Support channels are opened to named users within the organisation. Their access / viewing options will vary depending on their role.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication
• Devices users manage the service through: 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 have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users receive audit information on a regular basis
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Citation ISO Certification Limited
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 09/01/2020. Current accreditation from 09/01/2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: N/A
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • ISO 9001
  • ISO 27001

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: Information security policies are fully documented and available to all members of staff. Updates are communicated to the organisation, with new starters undergoing a specific session that covers the security policy; and invites them to ask questions. Typical policies and processes include blocking the use of USB devices, password changes, fully documented change control, subscribing to security news letters from QTC's CREST accredited security partners, etc.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: All change management is tracked on the QTC customer portal, with full visibility to customers. Changes are requested, agreed upon and advertised, documented and delivered via this medium. Every change is subject to CAB approval which happens once a week (or can be put forward for an emergency change if required).
• Vulnerability management type: Undisclosed
• Vulnerability management approach: A detailed account of this information is available upon request. However, at a high level the threats to our services are both managed, monitored and neutralised via the QTC IDS / IPS systems. QTC deploy patches regularly in a controlled manner using industry standard deployment tools and the information about potential threats comes from QTC's CHECK; certified security provider and datacentre partners
• Protective monitoring type: Undisclosed
• Protective monitoring approach: This information is available upon request, but at a high-level potential compromises are identified using an industry standard IDS system, QTC's; response includes their own security procedures and includes their CHECK accredited security partner and any such threats / compromises are classified as URGENT and are investigated immediately under the highest possible SLA.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: The QTC incident management is tightly interwoven with the QTC service desk system. Users can report incidents via email, internet portal or telephone. Uses can run their own incident reports via this system, but these are also available upon request. QTC have pre-defined processes for common events (environment refreshes, etc.) and these are documented on the portal knowledge-base where appropriate.

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: Yes
• Who implements virtualisation: Third-party
• Third-party virtualisation provider: Various - all with the relevant accreditation
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Both full VM and Network Isolation is in place between customers, ensuring absolute separation

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Datacentres follow ASHRAE standards, which have parity to that of the EU code of conduct. Initiatives at each datacentre are being put in place to maximise energy efficiency, with the Swiss datacentre already having won the SIG GIGA Trophy in recognition of its successful efforts to increase energy efficiency and reduce the CO2 consumption. It is hoped that this model can be rolled out to other datacentres to achieve similar results.

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  G7 aims are to reduce our footprint as much as possible within the options available to us. We have an Environmental policy that all staff sign up to and which is externally audited as part of our ISO 14001 commitment. We are in rented office space, but we recycle etc.as much as we can. We do not believe we have a large environmental footprint, however the hybrid policy of working from home or the office, seeks to give employees a more flexible approach and less reliance on unnecessary fossil fuels. We have minimised paper output and continue to do so. Our aim is to move more of our servers to the cloud where we are able to schedule them to not be in use continually and therefore, they are effectively switched off during non-working hours. Some employee’s car share and we encourage this where possible. ; G7 publish our ISO 14001 renewal confirmation on our website and our email footers.

  Covid-19 recovery

  G7 continued to offer all services through the Covid pandemic remotely and assisted many of our customers with the change of working in the office to working from home. Even now, many customers prefer to continue using the remote method of working. ; G7 now offer a hybrid of working in the office and at home for all employees, to help them better manage their work and home life balance. ; G7 carried out all appropriate Covid working conditions, when people came back into the office, including social distancing and rotation of staff

  Tackling economic inequality

  Full collaboration with our partners throughout the supply chain and during implementations.; All of the G7 consultants have access to Unit4 Community4U ensuring they are able to keep up to date and are encouraged to do so. This results in accreditations for both G7 and the individual. G7 positively encourage consultants to work together to broaden their own individual skill sets in 1-to-1 sessions, with further avenues of progression explored and encouraged, even where training is for indirect skills (i.e. Not necessarily Unit4 ERP based). G7 believe that additional indirect skill sets can widen and compliment an employee’s existing skill set, for their own development as well as for the company.

  Equal opportunity

  G7 aim to recruit locally for the Application Managed Service if we can, based on the skillset we require. However, we are a very specialist service-based organisation that is tied to one main software provider. We are always looking to recruit good people and we are prepared to interview such, based on personal recommendation from current staff. G7 are fortunate to have a good balance of male, female and cultural representation throughout. Any form of discrimination would not be tolerated.

  Wellbeing

  As well as a flexible work at home policy, G7 also offer all employees flexible hours and a private health scheme. ; Weekly team meetings are held to discuss any issues etc. G7 offer a flat management structure which allows quick and uncluttered access to senior management. ; Although environmentally we encourage at home working, we are unlikely to move to a completely working from home system as we wish to keep a balance of colleagues working together for additional knowledge transfer and their own social welfare.

Pricing

• Price: £12,000 a unit a year
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: No

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 g7info@g7bs.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.