EXPONENTIAL-E LIMITED

Azure Stack

Exponential-e Azure Stack Hub, Edge & HCI Service is a hybrid cloud platform that enables the provision of Azure Virtual Machines, SQL Server Databases, and Marketplace items from dedicated infrastructure hosted in your own facilities. It is also available in portable, ruggedised form for expeditionary land, sea, or air operations.

Features

• Azure native compute deployed at your existing secure hosting facilities
• Fully integrated with Azure
• Option to bring-your-own Windows licenses
• Can extend Azure technologies to locations without continuous connectivity
• Ruggedised versions for expeditionary land, sea, or air operations
• Lifecycle management & validated patches
• Validated compute and storage nodes
• Monitoring and Management by Exponential-e with integration to Support Desk

Benefits

• Dedicated infrastructure meets specific security and compliance requirements
• Leverage common CI/CD/DevOps skills across public-cloud and dedicated facilities
• Deploy Azure based compute at the edge in expeditionary scenarios
• Deploy Azure based compute for static use cases

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 psbids@exponential-e.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 15

Service ID

352738962388120

Contact

Kay Sugg
02034358835
psbids@exponential-e.com

About your service

• Service categories:

  IaaS

  IaaS Compute

  • Bare metal
  • Container and serverless engine compute

  Virtualised x86

  • General purpose
  • Compute optimised
  • Memory optimised

  Accelerated

  • GPUs

Service scope

• Service constraints: Managed with Azure portals and services as a dependency.
• System requirements:
  • Suitable facilities if to be customer-hosted
  • Suitable network uplinks with BGP
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Community cloud
  • Hybrid cloud

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes
• Support response times: P1 Target Response Time - 15 mins; P2 Target Response Time - 15 mins; P3 Target Response Time - 30 mins; P4 Target Response Time - 30 mins
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: Yes
• Online ticketing support accessibility: WCAG 2.2 AAA
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 24 hours, 7 days a week
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Exponential-e provides the Azure Stack as a 24x7 managed service.; ; We manage the appliance health, software upgrades and availability on an ongoing basis. Customer will be responsible for all backup jobs, remediation and policy management unless electing for our managed backup service, whereby we undertake management, remediation and policy management for protect items (this is provided within our Flex Manage Service offerings as a supplementary service).
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: The service low-level design is developed through a series of workshops run jointly by Exponential-e and our infrastructure providers Dell Technologies & Microsoft. Dell provide the systems and physical installation and perform the base configuration according to the low-level design.; ; Exponential-e onboard the services for support and management, connect the system to the desired Azure tenancy, and provide billing and (where required) licensing.; ; Exponential-e can also provide training where required.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data can be transferred to any other Azure availability zone or third-party hosting following standard Azure connectivity principles.
• End-of-contract process: All transition work from the contract undertaken by Exponential-e may be considered additional services and subject to additional charges.
• Documentation accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: The Azure Stack appears as an availability zone within the associated Azure tenancy and is managed via Azure portals as with all other aspects of the Azure platform.
• Web interface accessibility standard: WCAG 2.2 AAA
• Web interface accessibility testing: See: https://azure.microsoft.com/mediahandler/files/resourcefiles/microsoft-azure-compliance-offerings/Microsoft%20Azure%20Compliance%20Offerings.pdf
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Azure Stack uses the same APIs as do the Azure services delivered from public availability zones.
• API automation tools:
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • SaltStack
  • Terraform
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
  • Other
• Using the command line interface: Resources deployed on Azure Stack can be managed via PowerShell or Azure CLI in the same way as if they were deployed on a public Azure availability zone.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: The Azure Stack platform as deployed by Exponential-e is dedicated to a single tenant and appears within the associated Azure subscription as an availability zone.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting:
  • API
  • Email
  • Other
• Other usage reporting: Via regular Service Reporting.
• Optimising consumption: Yes
• Automatic scaling: Yes

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • HTTP request and response status
  • Memory
  • Network
  • Number of active instances
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request
• Resource tagging: Yes
• FOCUS resource tagging: No

Resellers

• Supplier type: Not a reseller

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• 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: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest: Encryption of all physical media
• 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:
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed / Cryptographic Erasure
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation / Secure Erase
  • Physical Destruction / Hardware containing data is completely destroyed

Backup and recovery

• What’s backed up:
  • NTFS and ReFS volumes, shares, folders, files and system state
  • SQL Server 2019, 2017, 2016 and 2014
  • Exchange Server 2019 and 2016
  • Mailboxes and mailbox databases in an Exchange DAG
  • SharePoint 2019 and 2016 farms and front-end web server content
  • All other services under Azure Stack can be backed up
• Backup controls: The Microsoft Azure Backup Service manages backups to and restores from the Azure Stack offering.; ; Protection groups are used to configure and manage data protection. A protection group is a collection of data sources that share the same protection configuration. The protection configuration is the collection of settings common to a protection group, such as the protection group name, protection policy, storage allocations, and replica creation method.; ; At regular intervals that you can configure, the service creates a recovery point for the protected data source, which is a version of the data which can be recovered.
• Datacentre setup: Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
• Scheduling backups: Users schedule backups through a web interface
• Backup recovery:
  • Users can recover backups themselves, for example through a web interface
  • Users contact the support team
• Backup and recovery: Yes
• RPO/RTO: No

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

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: If provided on a customer site, availability cannot be provided with an SLA as Exponential-e cannot provide an SLA for customer owned power and security. The appliance is a fully redundant hardware design to remove single points of failure and would therefore be considered a 99.9% architecture. If deployed in an Exponential-e Data Centre, a single site solution is provided with 99.9% availability, or 99.95% for a dual site deployment.
• Approach to resilience: Azure Stack is provided as a pre-validated configuration designed by Dell Technologies and approved by Microsoft. The system uses a standard N+1 resilient architecture with no single point of failure. Further information available on request.
• Outage reporting: Service status is reported in real-time via the Azure management plane. Additionally, Exponential-e report outages via: a customer dashboard and email alerts. Exponential-e are ISO2000-1 accredited and follows standard ITIL conformant processes to notify affected customers in the event of a service outage.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • 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: Details available on request.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
  • 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
• Devices users manage the service through:
  • Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
  • Dedicated device over multiple services or networks
  • 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)
  • 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 have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

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: Depending on the sector we are engaging with, we work with the customer to align design, process and policy to the most appropriate framework. We typically align all services to ISO27001, ISO27017, and NCSC requirements. Exponential-e maintain accreditations under Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus.

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: Details available on request.
• Vulnerability management type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Details available on request.
• Protective monitoring type: Complies with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v4.0 or SSAE-18 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Details available on request.
• 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: Exponential-e’s Incident Management process is integrated into its ISO9001 and ISO20000-1 accredited framework. Pre-defined procedures address common events, with examples including automated scripts for capacity-related issues. Incidents are reported by users via email, phone, or ServiceNow, which generates a tracking number for efficient handling and prioritisation. These incidents are logged, allocated to appropriate teams, and resolved based on their urgency and impact. Incident updates are provided regularly, with detailed reports shared for major incidents. Post-resolution evaluations ensure continuous improvement, supported by root cause analyses and formal Reason for Outage reports
• Post-quantum cryptography secure: Yes

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Independent review of processes (for example CESG CPA Build Standard, ISO/IEC 27034, ISO/IEC 27001 or CSA CCM v4.0)

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: Microsoft Azure
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Azure Stack when provided by Exponential-e is deployed as a single tenant appliance.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Exponential-e datacentres comply with ISO 950001 - Energy Management System (or ESOS). Exponential-e also holds ISO 14001 and ISO 50001.

Pricing

• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Discount

• Provide your minimum discount applicable to your baseline prices: 5%

Formula for calculating price of your services

• Formula for calculating price of your services:

  Which of the core deployment models you intend to offer

  Private Cloud

  Private Cloud - Formula for calculating price of your services

  ---

  Total Cost

  The Total Cost for a buyer's call off requirement in a Private Cloud Deployment

  =

  Baseline Pricing

  Baseline Pricing for these services will be found under the G-Cloud Service Lines, within the Pricing Document.; ; The applicable price point is determined by factors such as required performance levels, availability requirements, data protection, and scale. ; ; This pricing approach allows buyers to clearly understand entry-level costs while retaining flexibility to scale performance and capacity in line with workload demands. All pricing assumptions and variables will be clearly described to ensure buyers can accurately forecast costs and assess value for money.

  -

  Minimum Discounting

  5%

  +

  Onboarding Activity

  Onboarding costs may vary based on your specific requirements, please confirm with suppliers during the clarification process

  +

  Additional sources of cost

  In addition to baseline pricing, buyers may incur additional costs depending on their existing infrastructure, data volumes, and integration requirements. ; ; One potential cost is dedicated network connectivity. For data-intensive workloads such as digital pathology, GPU computation, or HPC environments, buyers may require enhanced or private connectivity. Where required, dedicated network services can be provided and scoped separately to meet performance, security, and availability needs. For health and care organisations, this may include connectivity via the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN). ; Additional variations in the costs for licencing and compute may also apply.; ; Data migration may also introduce additional costs. Buyers transitioning from existing on-premises or third-party storage platforms may require support to transfer large datasets, validate data integrity, and minimise service disruption. Migration activities are scoped based on data volume, complexity, and delivery timelines and can be delivered as a professional service, including discovery, planning, execution, and post-migration validation. ; ; In greenfield deployments, where no existing data platform is in place, data migration costs would not apply. ; ; Additional costs may arise from optional services such as enhanced resilience, bespoke configurations, or specialist support. Any such services would be clearly defined and agreed with the buyer prior to contract commencement.

  -

  Additional sources of cost reduction

  This model provides several opportunities for cost reduction, depending on the service configuration/scaling over time. The proposed approach uses a hybrid scale-out storage architecture, combining high-performance nodes with archive-optimised nodes to deliver a single, aggregated storage platform, enabling buyers to align costs directly with workload requirements. ; ; A primary source of cost efficiency is the ability to balance performance and archive tiers. High-performance nodes command a higher price per GB within the defined pricing range, while archive nodes offer significantly lower-cost storage for data that is accessed less frequently. By limiting high-performance capacity to only where it is required and increasing the proportion of archive nodes, buyers can reduce the overall cost per GB. ; ; Additional savings are achieved by reducing/removing front-end performance nodes where sustained high throughput is not necessary. The platform can operate predominantly as a scale-out archive solution, optimised for capacity rather than performance. ; ; As service demand grows, cost efficiency is maintained by selectively expanding archive capacity rather than scaling performance uniformly. This targeted approach ensures buyers only pay for capabilities needed at each stage. ; ; Together, these configuration options allow buyers to optimise storage environments over time, lowering unit costs while retaining flexibility and performance appropriately.

  ---

• Total Cost: The Total Cost for a buyer's call off requirement in a Private Cloud Deployment
• Baseline Pricing: Baseline Pricing for these services will be found under the G-Cloud Service Lines, within the Pricing Document.; ; The applicable price point is determined by factors such as required performance levels, availability requirements, data protection, and scale. ; ; This pricing approach allows buyers to clearly understand entry-level costs while retaining flexibility to scale performance and capacity in line with workload demands. All pricing assumptions and variables will be clearly described to ensure buyers can accurately forecast costs and assess value for money.
• Minimum Discounting: 5%
• Onboarding Activity: Onboarding costs may vary based on your specific requirements, please confirm with suppliers during the clarification process
• Additional sources of cost: In addition to baseline pricing, buyers may incur additional costs depending on their existing infrastructure, data volumes, and integration requirements. ; ; One potential cost is dedicated network connectivity. For data-intensive workloads such as digital pathology, GPU computation, or HPC environments, buyers may require enhanced or private connectivity. Where required, dedicated network services can be provided and scoped separately to meet performance, security, and availability needs. For health and care organisations, this may include connectivity via the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN). ; Additional variations in the costs for licencing and compute may also apply.; ; Data migration may also introduce additional costs. Buyers transitioning from existing on-premises or third-party storage platforms may require support to transfer large datasets, validate data integrity, and minimise service disruption. Migration activities are scoped based on data volume, complexity, and delivery timelines and can be delivered as a professional service, including discovery, planning, execution, and post-migration validation. ; ; In greenfield deployments, where no existing data platform is in place, data migration costs would not apply. ; ; Additional costs may arise from optional services such as enhanced resilience, bespoke configurations, or specialist support. Any such services would be clearly defined and agreed with the buyer prior to contract commencement.
• Additional sources of cost reduction: This model provides several opportunities for cost reduction, depending on the service configuration/scaling over time. The proposed approach uses a hybrid scale-out storage architecture, combining high-performance nodes with archive-optimised nodes to deliver a single, aggregated storage platform, enabling buyers to align costs directly with workload requirements. ; ; A primary source of cost efficiency is the ability to balance performance and archive tiers. High-performance nodes command a higher price per GB within the defined pricing range, while archive nodes offer significantly lower-cost storage for data that is accessed less frequently. By limiting high-performance capacity to only where it is required and increasing the proportion of archive nodes, buyers can reduce the overall cost per GB. ; ; Additional savings are achieved by reducing/removing front-end performance nodes where sustained high throughput is not necessary. The platform can operate predominantly as a scale-out archive solution, optimised for capacity rather than performance. ; ; As service demand grows, cost efficiency is maintained by selectively expanding archive capacity rather than scaling performance uniformly. This targeted approach ensures buyers only pay for capabilities needed at each stage. ; ; Together, these configuration options allow buyers to optimise storage environments over time, lowering unit costs while retaining flexibility and performance appropriately.

Mandatory certifications

• Mandatory certifications:

  Are you are bidding to offer IaaS and/or PaaS as a reseller or are you in sole control of the infrastructure

  Sole Control of the Infrastructure

  ISO 9001 certification

  Provided

  ISO 14001 certification

  Provided

  ISO 27001 certification

  Provided

  ISO 20000-1 certification

  Provided

  ISO 27017 certification

  Provided

  Are you bidding to provide services under Lot 1b or both Lot 1a and Lot 1b?

  No

Cyber Essentials

• Do you have a Cyber Essentials Plus certificate?: Yes
• Cyber Essentials Plus certificate Number: 5dd79cac-9d43-47c5-89dc-7942d72666ee

Non-mandatory Standards and certifications

• ISO 28000:2022 certification: No
• Quality management systems (QMS): Yes
• CSA STAR certification: Yes
• CSA STAR accreditation date: Saturday 13 April 2024
• CSA STAR certification level: Level 1: CSA STAR Self-Assessment
• What the CSA STAR doesn’t cover: N/a
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: PCI Security Standards Council
• PCI DSS accreditation date: Friday 30 January 2026
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: Not applicable.
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications:
  • HSCN CN-SP Stage 2
  • SOC Type 1 & 2
  • ISO 27017

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 or retained jobs on the contract workforce in the relevant area that meet the criteria set out in MAC 1b, 1c and 1d
    • 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
    • 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
    • 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

  • 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.

    • Support for educational attainment relevant to the contract, including training schemes that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications
    • Delivery of apprenticeships, supported internships and T Level industry placement opportunities (Level 2, 3 and 4+) in relation to the contract

  • 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
    • 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

  • 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 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

  • 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 psbids@exponential-e.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.