Network Research Belgium (NRB) SA

NECS Hybrid Cloud

NECS is a Belgian based hybrid cloud solution delivering housing/hosting from its Belgian based datacenters with integration of main public clouds into one central portal.
We offer value added services like managed OS, managed databases, managed middleware and generic architecture/consulting services.

Features

• Georesilient datacenters (full sync)
• Private cloud with integration of public clouds (AWS & Azure)
• IaaS, PaaS, SaaS with or without DC resiliency
• Managed services
• Managed network services
• Oracle Exadata as a Service
• Mainframe services
• Kubernetes with OpenShift
• High secure web interface
• Local UK repository (option) with NECS Everywhere

Benefits

• 2 main datacenters, additional on roadmap
• One portal for access to private and public cloud services
• Managed OS, Storage, Archiving, Backup
• Oracle Exadata avoids physical servers for licensing purpose
• Secure multi tenancy possibility
• From non managed VMs to full managed VMs
• RBAC users management
• All infrastructure layers are managed by internal specialists

£1.57 a virtual machine a day

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 presales@nrb.be. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

290539981937433

Contact

Nicolas Prevost
+32 4 249 7211
presales@nrb.be

Service scope

• Service constraints: The web interface is not accessible during update with no impact on your infrastructure deployed. Your infrastructure still continue to work.
• System requirements:
  • Internet access or dedicated connections (MPLS, Leased line, ...)
  • Licensing must follow vendor rules (Microsoft, RedHat, ...)
  • Oracle Exadata as a Service with Bring Your Own Licenses
  • You need to use a "dedicated pod" for Oracle licences

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Typically we include a number of tickets in the contract, handling of additional tickets will be charged (Service Requests).; Acknowledgements of new tickets will be given within 15 min by mail, 1 min phone pickup.; Handling depends on contractual SLA and urgency.
• 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: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: - Basic support level is Business Hours (Central European Time, Weekdays 8AM-5PM).; - Extended Business Hours (Central European Time, Weekdays 7AM-7PM, Pricing BH +10% ).; - 24x7 Support (Central European Time, 7-days 24hr/day, Pricing BH +15% ).; Service Delivery Manager can be provided
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Online training, online user documentation. Eventually on-line training through Teams meeting is schedulable.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: When the customer decides to exit he can either retrieve his data through the network connection (Internet, MPLS, ...) or agree with NRB how the data needs to be handed over (to customer or eventually new service provider). For instance, data can be given back to customer as ISO file, backup file or any other format that can be agreed upon.
• End-of-contract process: The contract is modular, the customer can decide to continue the service (if possible depending on Request for Proposal conditions) or end it after the invoicing period.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: For managing your Hybrid Cloud Services you use a web interface (Cloud Management Platform). End users access depends on application, typically we connect the customers virtual network to their internal network but other connections are possible.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: Web interface is accessible through Internet or dedicated network connection (Site to Site VPN, Client to Site VPN, MPLS, ...)
• Web interface accessibility testing: None
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: All visible features in the Cloud Management Portal are available by a Secure REST API call.
• API automation tools: Ansible
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • PDF
  • Other
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
• Using the command line interface: As NECS is based on VMware’s vRealize solution, our NECS portal equally benefits from the VMware CloudClient Command-Line Utility. This is a command-line utility that provides verb-based access with a unified interface across vRealize/NECS Automation APIs.

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type: Manual
• Independence of resources: Each customer has one or more "Tenants", these tenants have separated VRFs and can have several VNETs. All tenants are protected by a dedicated firewall. Regular pen tests verified the security "state of art".
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting: Email

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • Memory
  • Network
  • Number of active instances
• Reporting types:
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: European Economic Area (EEA)
• User control over data storage and processing locations: No
• 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: Another external penetration testing organisation
• 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
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
  • Hardware containing data is completely destroyed
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service

Backup and recovery

• Backup and recovery: Yes
• What’s backed up:
  • First full VMs backup with incremental forever
  • Choices of the number of backup (Daily, weekly, ...)
  • Choices of the retention period (15, 30 or 60 days)
  • Possibility to customize this feature (SRQ)
  • Possibility to exclude a specific disk
  • User ask the data to restore (files, VMs, ...)
• Backup controls: The user as the choice of the type of backup VM by VM (with or without backup, number of backup, retention period, exclude a disk)
• Datacentre setup:
  • Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
  • Multiple datacentres
  • Single datacentre with multiple copies
  • Single datacentre
• Scheduling backups: Users schedule backups through a web interface
• Backup recovery: 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
  • Bonded fibre optic connections
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: SLAs and penalties are agreed upon on contract signing.; SLOs are published and range from 99,99% to 93% depending on the level of redundancy of the service.; Penalties are typically based upon the downtime suffered against the Service Level Target and will represent a percentage of the monthly RUN fee. Depending on the contract this is typically capped to a set percentage of the monthly fee.
• Approach to resilience: The main georesilient datacenter is build upon two geographically distant datacenters (availability zones) about 22 miles apart. These datacenters are interconnected using two double pairs of dark fibres. Each datacenter has a complete set of infrastructure that can be replicated to the secondary site. Backups are typically made in the secondary datacenter and replicated to the primary. As such even if the resource is not replicated it can be reconstructed from a restore. This even in case of loss of a complete datacenter.; A complete description can be transmitted on request.
• Outage reporting: Outages are reported through email to notify the customer of upcoming maintenance of the portal.; The service status and eventual outage is published from a tile on NECS Main Portal or by this link https://nrbenterprisecloudservices.statuspage.io/

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: At service onboarding a list of authorised persons is agreed upon that will have the right to open tickets or request incident priority changes.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Devices users manage the service through: Directly from any device which may also be used for normal business (for example web browsing or viewing external email)

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: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• 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: BSI
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 30/3/2016 renewed 25/2/2022
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: None
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: No
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • ISO/IEC 9001
  • ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018
  • SAP-certified provider of Hosting Operations

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards:
  • ISO/IEC 27001
  • Other
• Other security governance standards: ISO/IEC 9001; ISO/IEC 20000-1:2018; SAP-certified provider of Hosting Operations
• Information security policies and processes: NRB is fully ISO 27K compliant and as such has a well-structured and documented ISMS (Information Security Management System) in place. ; ; The overall approach of the Information Security management System is to ensure the continued security of all the processes included in the scope via a PDCA approach. ; ; This approach takes the following restrictions into account: ; ; • The legal requirements in effect in Belgium ; • Regulatory requirements ; • Contractual requirements ; ; • The information security management system covers: ;  The design and analysis of, and consultancy and support for IT projects, ;  The design and development of the maintenance and hosting of IT solutions,;  The management of system, ;  The telecommunication network, and mass-printing infrastructure, ;  The delivery and configuration of hardware and software, ;  IT consulting. ;  NRB’s Information System, which enables the performance of the tasks involved.; ; The scope of our security management includes all of the services provided to its customers by NRB via the aforementioned processes, and therefore the infrastructure hardware owned by NRB, which enables NRB to carry out its business activities, namely: ; • The server and storage bays ; • The computer servers ; • The hosting facilities ; • The telecommunications connections

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: NRB’s Change Management Process aims at authorizing all Requests for Changes (RFCs), controlling change management flows through standard framework and discipline, lessening risks of disruption to business services and determining costs and benefits associated with a Change;; ; The quality of the Change Management Process put in place at NRB is very high as great attention is given to assessment and approval activities i.e. Change Advisory Board (CAB) but also pre-CAB meetings are reviewing and deciding upon the execution of Changes.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: There are three versions of the “Vulnerability Management Service” (Basic / Standard / Full). ; In summary,; “Basic” supports the scanning and classsifcation of vulnerabilities ;; “Standard” adds project management for the remediation of vulnerabilities to the Standard version ;; “Full” adds patch deployment to Full version (Only if the assets are managed by NRB and with new projects).
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: NRB’s Event Monitoring Services consists of tracking key indicators within the infrastructure and related services. To provide such services, NRB has a state of the art monitoring and event management system that is able to correlate events. ; This results in a much faster and easier incident and problem resolution as well as reporting and trending, and allows NRB to measure the agreed service levels and proactively manage the service in terms of availability, capacity and performance.; The alerting is triggered by the monitoring platform and enriched by CMDB information (criticality and service windows of the impacted configuration items).
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: Our Service Desk ensures proper registration of user information received, high level monitoring of the subsequent activities and user feedback. As such, it is our prime operational body that ensures that the IT Service Management processes (ITIL v3 driven) are properly applied.; A standard report showing SLA performances is provided once a month. It presents key data about the Service. The Service Delivery Manager, as contact person for Customer during delivery period, uses the report as a support for further discussion about service improvement.

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: Supplier
• Virtualisation technologies used: VMware
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Each organization is implemented on a separate VFR that can contain multiple VLANs. Each tenant has a dedicated firewall.; Connection to local network uses Natting technology .

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Using free chilling on the cooling plant, optimizing the hours/year of activation;; Using modular UPS with maximum efficiency curve per load, activating modules as needed;; Using cold corridors and blanking panels to avoid cold/hot air mixture;; Replacing water pumps with IE3 versions; Recovering energy through the use of air exchangers to reheat sanitary air;; Maximizing the insulation (K 26) of the building in order to avoid external heating;; Maximizing the insulation of cold and hot pipes ; Using economical/ecological lighting, with motion based activation, centralized lights out, and time-delay lighting

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  NRB Datacenters use 70% of green power energy (the goal is 100% in coming years)

  Wellbeing

  People working at NRB can have specific medical follow up for mental problems

Pricing

• Price: £1.57 a virtual machine a day
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• 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 presales@nrb.be. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.