Pi Communications

Live Video, Audio, AV and Streaming Support for Public Inquiries, Court and Hybrid Meetings

We provide a comprehensive support service comprising a staffed solution and all infrastructure for video and audio capture of meetings, recording, secure streaming and online distribution to a range of platforms and endpoints, as well as integrated Electronic Presentation of Evidence and Transcription. for Public Inquiries, Court and Hybrid Meetings

Features

• Supports up to 4K streaming
• Compatible with all major CDNs, platforms, browsers and devices
• Real-time transcription
• Electronic presentation of evidence
• Software solution operating on a private cloud network
• Provision of secure data storage, associated hardware and software
• Supported in-person by expert technical operators

Benefits

• Improves accessibility of meetings and hearings
• Facilitates fully integrated, secure hybrid meetings
• Scalable to any number of in-person and remote users
• Flexibility to be tailored to any hybrid meeting requirement
• Includes secure, fully-resilient data storage and media archive
• Delivers more dynamic presentation of all types of evidence

£136.25 a unit

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 ddouglas@picomms.tv. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

304041825870090

Contact

Daniel Douglas
02890600655
ddouglas@picomms.tv

Planning

• Planning service: Yes
• How the planning service works: Our Service Implementation Team will meet with clients to discuss and review the full scope of requirements, objectives, parameters and preferences for the service and support, as well as to establish the context of the deployment environment, network and infrastructure, and any integration needs and requirements. Our team will develop a custom service proposal, technical design and implementation plan based on this assessment for customer approval.
• Planning service works with specific services: Yes
• Hosting or software services the planning service works with:
  • YouTube
  • Twitter
  • Facebook Live
  • Any other CDN
  • Chrome, Safari, Edge, Firefox on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android
  • MS Teams integration
  • Zoom integration
  • Any other video conferencing platform integration

Training

• Training service provided: Yes
• How the training service works: The service includes expert technical operator staffing to operate the solution, however onsite and online training for customer personnel and other end users can be provided, tailored to client requirements. ; ; Available training includes but is not limited to, end user access and usage, technical troubleshooting, system operation, evidence management and case file preparation. Customer personnel can avail of this training if desirable, however full technical operational support is available to operate the service on customers' behalf. We also provide training to Counsel and legal representatives in efficient and optimised working with virtual and hybrid hearing solutions. ; ; Full user documentation can also be provided in PDF format.
• Training is tied to specific services: No

Setup and migration

• Setup or migration service available: Yes
• How the setup or migration service works: Our Service Implementation Team will mobilise the service, and plan and deliver migration to the cloud or between cloud services for customers based on their specific service requirements. Our technical solution facilitates and provides streaming and on-demand archiving to the cloud and between cloud services. Our solution provides 'off the shelf' compatibility and integration with all major CDNs, video hosting platforms, video conferencing platforms
• Setup or migration service is for specific cloud services: No

Quality assurance and performance testing

• Quality assurance and performance testing service: Yes
• How the quality assurance and performance testing works: We develop tailored KPIs and SLAs for each service, with corresponding quality metrics customised to customer requirements. During mobilisation and implementation, a dedicated Account Manager will oversee rollout, quality assurance and control, and acceptance testing with a sandboxed solution with end users to ensure satisfaction and meet required metrics. Once live, our Engineers actively remotely monitor system performance and distribution quality to platforms/endpoints, undertake regular quality assurance and performance testing, and provide routine support and maintenance.

Security testing

• Security services: No

Ongoing support

• Ongoing support service: Yes
• Types of service supported:
  • Buyer hosting or software
  • Hosting or software provided by your organisation
  • Hosting or software provided by a third-party organisation
• How the support service works: Pi Comms provide support for cloud hosting or software services deployed within or to support our service model; through a Service Desk ticketing and management approach staffed by specialist Support Technicians. Our team undertake diagnostics, root cause analysis and remedial works to maintain seamless continuity and service levels. ; ; Remote support within business hours (08:00 - 17:00 Monday - Friday) is included within the service offering. Remote support outside of service hours is charged at an hourly rate as per the Pricing Document. Support can be requested via email and phone, directed both to our dedicated support contacts or the Account Manager .

Service scope

• Service constraints: None

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: We respond to all support requests within 1 hour during business hours (08:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday). We provide an emergency email address for out of hours support requests, and aim to respond to all out of hours requests within 3 hours.
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: No
• Support levels: Onsite support is delivered by specialist Support Engineers. Onsite support is charged at an hourly rate as per the Pricing Document. Remote support is delivered by specialist Remote Support Technicians. Remote support within business hours (08:00 - 17:00 Monday - Friday) is included within the service offering. Remote support outside of service hours is charged at an hourly rate as per the Pricing Document. Support can be requested via email and phone, directed both to our dedicated support contacts or the Account Manager .

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Citation ISO Certification
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 31/07/2023
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: There are no exclusions to our certification.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: No
• Other security certifications: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

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

  Fighting climate change

  Our service facilitates virtual and hybrid inquiry hearings, court rooms and meetings, integrating with all major online platforms and spaces for video conferencing as well as all CDN and streaming hosting platforms. This allows for remote participation in hearings and live remote viewing of proceedings – this eliminates unnecessary travel and emissions, helping to fight climate change. Additionally, in delivering this service we take various measures to fight climate change including: undertaking Environmental Risk Assessments in for all mobilisation projects and for defining service workflows and operating procedures; being highly selective in choosing suppliers, manufacturers, and sub-contractors based on thorough review of their environmental sustainability and the sustainability and ethics of their supply chain; we select equipment rated for optimal energy efficiency and design solutions to minimise energy consumption and wastage where feasible; in shipping equipment and facilities we always seek to minimise additional or unnecessary packaging and packing; we ensure that all decommissioned electronic and electrical assets are disposed of according to EU WEEE or RoHS directives. Moreover, at an organisational level, measures include: we are an ISO 14001-accreddited company, and continuously review, improve and strength our approach to sustainability; our approach is defined, documented, and communicated internally and externally in our various policies including our Environmental Policy, sustainable Development Policy, Energy Policy and Waste Policy; we operate a digital-first ‘paperless office’ approach to minimise and eliminate unnecessary printing wherever possible, and make extensive use of virtual meeting platforms to minimise unnecessary travel for meetings internally and with clients; and we are currently 2 years into 1 5-year plan to replace our corporate fleet with EVs (as of 2024, 20% of our existing petrol/diesel fleet has been replaced with EVs).

  Covid-19 recovery

  This service supports COVID-19 recovery and wider H&S/pandemic-preparedness and response through providing a virtual and hybrid replacement for a physical requirement. This service facilitates remote and hybrid/fully virtual participation in court or inquiry hearings through allowing individuals to view proceedings, and by facilitating remote participation, contributions or cross examination. This removes the requirement for physical, in-person attendance, allowing vulnerable or COVID-positive individuals to attend and participate, and supporting social distancing in courts and hearing rooms, providing an invaluable function in terms of prevention and transmission management. Further to this, when in-person operations or technical support are provided, our Operators and Technicians can wear masks and PPE as required. All equipment is disinfected and sanitised prior to and after each use, and our personnel adhere to our ISO 45001-accreditted procedures in all operational processes. More broadly, in delivering services, we make extensive use of video conferencing for meetings, use remote access for infrastructure monitoring and routine maintenance and updates, and facilitate remote working for our staff, to support COVID-19 recovery and to adhere to H&S best practice for preventing and controlling transmission of infections. Additionally we have undertaken facilities installations for clients alongside technology installations to minimise transmission risk, including ergonomic redesign of furniture for social distancing, installing HEPA filter systems, installing partitions and screens, and sanitation stations on premises.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Pi Comms is committed to tackling economic inequality through providing opportunities to employment for people who face challenges entering employment or the sector specifically. Measures include having no mandatory requirements or qualifications for certain posts; offering training placements and training roles where employees can join the company at an entry level and progress through experience and training and development (including individuals not otherwise in employment, education or training); recruiting, advertising opportunities, and engaging potential employees through a broad range of channels including through relationships with organisations dedicated to supporting individuals facing challenges to employment. We are also committed to tackling economic inequality at a strategic level through our approach to sustainable development, to ethical and transparent conduct in all of our business practices, and to working with sub-contractors and suppliers who can demonstrate their ability to meet and match our standards. Measures we utilise include undertaking regular supply chain review and auditing to ensure we adhere to our internal requirements for supply chain diversity, flexibility, resilience and quality. We have standards existing and new suppliers must meet in terms of their ability to demonstrate evidence against sustainability and ethical standards, of the integrity of their own supply chains, and sourcing of assets and their component parts and materials (including attainment of or adherence to recognised standards and guidance such as ISO26001 in Social Responsibility, the International Labour Organisation’s ‘Labour Inspection Convention’, the OECD’s ‘Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct’, or the Responsible Mineral’s Initiative’s ‘Responsible Minerals Assurance Process’ [RMAP]). We are also proactive in identifying opportunities to engage with, work with, hire or procure from SMEs or collaborative networks of smaller business to build and maintain a diverse supplier base.

  Equal opportunity

  Pi Comms are committed to providing equality of opportunity to all applicants, staff and contractors, and utilise a range of strategic and operational measures to do so, and to continuously improve in this area. Our objectives for and approach to providing Equal Opportunity is set out in our Equality and Diversity Policy, and implemented throughout the organisation by our senior management team. Our Equality and Diversity Policy defines our ethos as an organisation, and our procedures and mechanisms extending across recruitment, HR, staff management, and training and personnel development, to encourage and foster diversity and inclusivity, and remove barriers to progress for all. Our Staff Handbook and training provides clear guidance on Equality and Diversity, staff rights and entitlement, and responsibilities and responses to any discrimination, bullying or harassment. Training in this area is provided to all staff during induction and on an annual basis, including, for example, in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awareness, Equality at Work Legislation, and Neurodiversity. We actively seek out a broad range of applicants for posts: among wider measures, we post opportunities widely across a range of platforms and sites, we engage with schools and colleges to attract trainees and applicants, and we recruit both highly qualified personnel and novice trainees with no (or few relevant) qualifications. We invest heavily in continuous professional development of all staff, including induction and compliance training, technical and role-specific training, and culture and ethos training. We utilise inhouse training programmes, specialist training partners and membership associations, and accredited third-level educational courses and industry or discipline-specific training are also utilised, ranging from short-term highly specific training modules to post-graduate qualifications. Pi Comms has an almost even gender balance, including representation in senior management positions, atypical in the industry STEM industries overall.

  Wellbeing

  Pi Comms prioritises staff wellbeing and utilise approaches across staff support, training and development, and fair work practices to demonstrate our commitment to wellbeing, its importance to the organisation, and to improve the physical and mental health, wellbeing, and work-life balance of our workforce. We provide clear progression plans and pathways for all personnel and invest in continuous professional development for all. In additional to role-specific training, we additionally provide training related to wellbeing including, for example, in Managing Workplace Stress and Mental Health Awareness. We implement flexible and family-friendly working practices including agreeing flexible working arrangements with personnel as needed and where possible to facilitate remote working, compressed hours, or phased retirement to support specific needs. Ensuring a strong sense of job security is critical to staff wellbeing, and we regularly engage with individuals to tailor and adjust their working terms to support changes in the personal lives. We adhere to ethical employment practices, making no use of zero hours contracts or ‘fire and rehire’ practices. We provide fair pay to all staff. We pay competitive salaries and wages in line with the Living Wage rather than the minimum wage. Pi Comms subscribes to the principles of the EU Pay Transparency Directive (and we are committed to working to the requirements and spirit of any corresponding equivalent UK proposals or legislation). We additionally employ other staff benefit schemes such as our Employee Assistance Programme (which provides a 24/7 confidential advice line for all staff for any professional or personal issues they may be experiencing) and our Bike to Work Scheme.

Pricing

• Price: £136.25 a unit
• Discount for educational organisations: 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 ddouglas@picomms.tv. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.