Answers and Solutions ltd

Forum Software

WordPress has a marketshare of 51% for CMS software and 70% of the web uses a CMS system. Our service will give you a platform to build your website on. You can engage someone to design your website or ask us to assist.

Features

• knowledge sharing increases its value exponentially

Benefits

• knowledge sharing increases its value exponentially

£1,000 a unit a year

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  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 Christopher.Wainwright@letsdiscuss.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

212694629625089

Contact

Christopher Wainwright
02920733722
Christopher.Wainwright@letsdiscuss.co.uk

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
• What software services is the service an extension to: Cloud hosting services.
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Private cloud
  • Community cloud
• Service constraints: The software is highly configurable. For all practical purposes, you are unlikely to be constrained by it.
• System requirements: A web browser is required

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support response times: Usually within a few hours, but our SLA will be 48hrs
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: No
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: We shall produce a base system setup. Our price includes some "get you going" support - see the service description documentation
• Support available to third parties: No

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: To go live, we will need to gather the basics from you, and based on those details, we set up the system for your department. We provide one day of administrator training. Further assistance is, of course, available.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: The data is held in industry standard format and many 3rd party tools are available to extract the data.
• End-of-contract process: We will cease the service.

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: The differences will depend on how you design your deployment.
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 A
• Description of service interface: The Webbrowser based interface with enhanced access rights allows relatively low skilled staff to maintain a site. Someone with a higher skill set will be needed to set it up initially.
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 A
• Accessibility testing: Tested with Colour Blind users
• API: No
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: Almost everything can be customised. Please call for details.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: The software will be hosted on servers that we own and operate. These can scale out significantly, and additional servers will be added when the need arises.; ; Our company policy is to over-provision, not under provision.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: We combine the services of various organsiations

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
• 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: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• Equipment disposal approach: In-house destruction process

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: The data is held in formats that the user can export their data from. A Forum service is not designed for long term archival use; usually the data is has a year or so's usefulness and long term data retention is not required.
• Data export formats: Other
• Other data export formats:
  • CSV and Excel XLS formats supported.
  • Can be exported in the Zip file format
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data import formats: NB: Data import is a chargeable service

Data-in-transit protection

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

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: We aim for 99.9% availability. In the event of an unplanned outage of one or more hours being notified we will provide a week of free operation.; ; Pre-notified outages do not qualify for refunds since we will liaise with the customer and choose a time mutually acceptable. Planned works are rare, and will be scheduled for out of hours.
• Approach to resilience: This is available on request
• Outage reporting: A public dashboard

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication: Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: N/A in this document. Management interfaces are provided in our cloud hosting document
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication: Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: You control when users can access audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: No audit information available
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 6 months and 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: WorldPay
• PCI DSS accreditation date: 31/10/2019
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: TBC
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: CSA CCM version 3.0
• Information security policies and processes: TBC

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: We use the ITiL Configuration and Change management appraoch
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: TBC
• Protective monitoring type: Undisclosed
• Protective monitoring approach: TBC
• Incident management type: Undisclosed
• Incident management approach: TBC

Secure development

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

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

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

  Fighting climate change

  Our services help climate change by reducing and where appropriate, reducing or even eliminating the volume of home-office commuting necessary. Our data-centres are powered by suppliers who use renewable energy.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Large in-person meetings by people traveling long distances carries a high risk of spreading Covid-19. Through digital communications, our services are helping towards the recovery through reducing mixing between widely spaced geographical locations.

  Tackling economic inequality

  We encourage our staff to do pro-bono work for UK-based charities because it allows them to assume high levels of responsibility and thus gain experience not easily obtained in a high-consequence workplace. Staff who are undertaking such activities are still paid a salary; this has multiple benefits. It benefits the people who use the services of the charity being supported. It also benefits the individual who can strengthen their skills in a safe environment.; ; We also employ people in the regions of the UK still affected by the post-industrial economies. We are able to redistribute economic activity and thus enhance the economic well-being of people in these economically disadvantaged areas.; ; We actively look for SME sized organisations when seeking suppliers and sub-contractors because they offer better value for money, and are usually staffed by highly motivated individuals. Contracts awarded to Answers and Solutions will help the UK Government in its drive towards its leveling up agenda.

  Equal opportunity

  Answers and Solutions are committed to equal opportunities and do not discriminate in any way. We provide opportunities for people whose family commitments make it easier for them to fit their work duties around family duties through not prescribing fixed working hours; we work to goals achieved and not the number of hours spent watching the clock. We allow staff to take extended time off during school holidays or when other caring duties require that.

  Wellbeing

  Self-fulfilled individuals will always make good employees, good employees make for conscientious staff, and that is always good for a Buyer.; ; We encourage al of our staff to develop their skills and stretch their abilities. We encourage our staff to do pro-bono work for UK based charities because it allows them to assume high levels of responsibility and thus gain experience not easily obtained in a high-consequence workplace. We pay our staff while they do such work.

Pricing

• Price: £1,000 a unit a year
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  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 Christopher.Wainwright@letsdiscuss.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.