CGI

Public Cloud Hosting Service

CGI delivers Public Cloud solutions for UK government agencies, leveraging our extensive industry expertise. Our commitment is to uphold the highest standards of security, compliance, and data protection, while aligning with stringent government requirements. We provide a commodity-priced approach to managing hosted services including Azure, AWS and Google Cloud

Features

• Monthly utility platform with aggregated hourly billing based on usage
• IT department delivered alongside Public Cloud resources
• A variety of service options to suit clients’ needs
• Single Point of Contact for multiple cloud providers
• VMs managed from UK sovereign NOC. Offshore option if required
• Onshore support from CGI’s UK 5* Service Desk
• 24x7x365 monitoring of systems with real-time alerting
• SLA's offers infrastructure up to 99.95% availability
• Granularity of options to match cloud utility environment types
• Adherence to governance, regulation, compliance

Benefits

• Enhanced security provision through greater visibility
• 24x7x365 monitoring of systems with real-time alerting
• Enabler for innovation and capability to deploy new services rapidly
• Robust infrastructure with redundant systems, ensuring high availability
• Hourly based consumption pricing, reported and charged monthly
• Greater agility and automation. Scalable hybrid cloud
• Dynamic IT resource scaling in response to changing demand
• Secure UK Sovereign hosting, Cross domain capability
• Adherence of governance, regulation and compliance
• Applications and data can be accessed from anywhere via internet

£510 to £1,300 a unit a day

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 uk.gen.ccsframeworks@cgi.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

440461318433182

Contact

CCS Frameworks Team
08450707765
uk.gen.ccsframeworks@cgi.com

Service scope

• Service constraints: Handle and process data up to GSC OFFICIAL
• System requirements:
  • Buyer has appropriate Public Cloud provider support agreement in place
  • Or leverage CGI's agreement at a small additional cost

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support response times: 30 Minutes
• 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: Yes, at an extra cost
• 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: End users can access webchat functionality via Amelia, which will be available via plugin to MS Teams. Amelia will transfer to a live agent if the issue cannot be resolved.
• Web chat accessibility testing: Web chat accessibility testing
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Full support of CGI services are provided as standard via the CGI Service Desk. The Service Desk is 24x7x365 and is resourced with 1st/2nd line technical support engineers to support Cloud instances and a range of technologies hosted on those cloud instances. The service desk has direct escalation to 3rd line support and onward escalation to product vendors.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: 1. Through Consultation and engagement 2. Our Service includes the provision of up to 10 Virtual Servers for Management or workload purposes. These include Active Directory for user and device management and terminal services to allow management of the Public Cloud entities to be managed
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Should a client wish to exit the service entirely a formal Service Request will be required. This will instigate the Off-Boarding processes.
• End-of-contract process: A client specific project will be initiated in order to ensure all data, communication lines, trusts and certificates are correctly managed. This will be scheduled in agreement between the client and CGI

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: CGI can provide the same web interface provided by the Public Cloud provider, secured and customised for individual roles using RBAC permissions.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: Web interface can be provided directly via an internet connection and web browser.
• Web interface accessibility testing: None - the web management interface is managed and maintained by Public Cloud provider.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Advanced administrative actions that can be performed within the GUI interface can be achieved via API. e.g. Microsoft Azure provides a range of native APIs using Visual Studio and PowerShell.
• API automation tools:
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • Terraform
  • Puppet
• API documentation: No
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
• Using the command line interface: Azure CLI and then log in with their Azure account credentials to access and manage their resources. Once logged in, they can execute commands to create, manage, and monitor resources such as virtual machines, storage accounts and databases. Azure CLI aims to provide comprehensive coverage of Azure services, there may be differences in feature parity between the CLI and other management interfaces such as the Azure portal or Azure PowerShell. Users should refer to the Azure CLI documentation for the most up-to-date information on supported features.; The AWS CLI allows users to interact with various AWS services, such as EC2 (Elastic Compute Cloud), S3 (Simple Storage Service), RDS (Relational Database Service), and many others. ot all AWS services and features are accessible or supported via the CLI. While the CLI offers extensive coverage of AWS services, some features might only be available through the AWS Management Console or other interfaces. Users should refer to AWS documentation to understand the availability of specific features.

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type:
  • Automatic
  • Manual
• Independence of resources: For Virtual Servers, CGI provide detailed Availability and Capacity Planning metrics. CGI can also implement features such as scale sets and auto scaling to ensure appropriate capacity is available to meet the workload
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting:
  • Email
  • SMS

Analytics

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

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: Public Cloud, IaaS, PaaS and SaaS

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• 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
• 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 CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest: Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• 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:
  • Backup of VM images and data disks
  • Data types - compressed, encrypted, sparse, compressed and sparse
  • SQL data
  • VMs can be replicated to alternative data centre regions
  • Data can be replicated to alternative data centre regions
  • Environment configuration using JSON scripts
• Backup controls: Backup schedules and arrangements will be agreed during transition. e.g. SQL Database can automatically perform a combination of full database backups weekly, differential database backups hourly, and transaction log backups every five minutes to protect your business from data loss. Backups can be stored in geo-redundant storage for varying duration dependent upon service tier.
• Datacentre setup: Multiple datacentres
• Scheduling backups: Users schedule backups through a web interface
• Backup recovery: Users can recover backups themselves, for example through a web interface

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • 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: The solution facilitates availability sets and availability zones to mitigate down time cause d by hardware failure or routine maintenance downtime. Regional datacentre pairs are enabled by default in Public Cloud Storage, helping to ensure that applications are resilient during datacentre failures. Regional pairing asynchronously replicates data from a primary location to a secondary location within the same region. A region is an area within a geography containing one or more datacentres.
• Approach to resilience: Our solution can be taylored to meet specific SLAs, RTO and RPO targets. Applications resiliency helps ensure that during either a planned or unplanned maintenance event, at least one virtual machine will be available and meet the 99.9%
• Outage reporting: The console provides alerts for IaaS, PaaS and SaaS by email as default. In addition, CGI can provide proactive alerting solution for Public Cloud using webhooks. This takes the URL calls produced by webhooks and can deliver alerts in 3 ways: • Email to a resolver group • Direct import to CGI's enterprise ITSM tool, Remedy. This raises a ticket targeted at the resolver queue embedded in the URL call • Integration with CGI's enterprise control bridge In addition, CGI also provide Virtual Server OS health monitoring. This also extends to a range of other technologies such as: • MS SQL database • Internet Service Monitoring – IIS, Apache, Tomcat • Integration of 3rd party solution (WUG, Nagios, IBMD, HPOV, WUG, SPLUNK, Ops centre, MySQL etc.)

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: CGI members requiring access to customer's resources and environments within Public Cloud use a secure site-site VPN to establish a secure connection. Credential authentication is done via Active Directory installed as part of the initial service setup for each customer and is unique to them.; and will have RBAC controls implemented to ensure restriced privileges..
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
• Devices users manage the service through:
  • Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
  • 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 have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: User-defined
• How long system logs are stored for: At least 12 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Intertek Certification Limited
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 28/03/2024
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Nothing. Our certification covers the provision of outsourcing, project and consultancy services including development and delivery activities plus the management of people, technologies and physical security.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: No

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: Our security, information security and data protection management system for CGI is established through the Enterprise Security Management Framework (ESMF). The framework applies to the work we conduct for ourselves and for clients under UK contracts. All CGI UK members and contractors are expected to comply with its principles and processes. The ESMF is comprised of: A first level suite of security policies and security requirements that apply across the CGI enterprise. A second level set of standards set out how these policies and requirements are met, these being detailed within the following operational categories:- Access Control- Operations- Technology- Applications- Data management- HR and Organisation- Physical Microsoft uses OSA to minimize risk by helping to ensure that on-going operational activities follow rigorous security guidelines and by validating that guidelines are actually being followed effectively. When issues arise, a feedback loop helps ensure that future revisions of OSA contain mitigations to address them.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: Effective configuration and change management processes are essential for ensuring service integrity and security. CGI maintains a comprehensive approach, defining clear roles and responsibilities within client and CGI teams. Our process includes a detailed configuration plan, specifying service components and dependencies, and clear deliverables to ensure documentation accuracy. Changes undergo thorough evaluation, requiring signoff from both parties to align with expectations and mitigate unauthorized alterations. We closely monitor and track all changes, maintaining detailed records for auditing purposes. By adhering to these processes, CGI ensures structured, accountable management, minimizing risks and upholding service integrity and security.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: Our vulnerability management process involves continuous monitoring, assessment, and routine remediation. Our security team will identify vulnerabilities through regular scans and assessments. Prioritisation is based on severity and potential impact on cloud resources. Remediation plans are promptly devised and executed, addressing vulnerabilities with urgency. We use automated tools as such Defender for Cloud, AWS Inspector and AWS Security Hub, to streamline detection and response. Regular updates and patches are applied to maintain security posture. Post-remediation evaluations ensure effectiveness.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: CGI provides cloud security tooling and pro-active system monitoring linked to our control bridge. This helps ensure the effectiveness of the controls that are adopted and to verify conformity to the Public Cloud provider, CGI and our client's security policies/ standards. CGI typically interfaces with the Public Cloud Provider protective monitoring tools e.g. Azure Defender, Sentinel, AWS Trusted Advisor, which will detect and respond to attempted and successful attacks, misuse, and malfunction. Securities threats, detected vulnerabilities and breaches are escalated, actioned and remediated with the appropriate playbooks to ensure security events are managed promptly and effectively.
• 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: CGI operate an ITIL aligned incident management process with associated procedures for security related incidents. The process has a clearly defined governance framework, including roles & responsibilities, clear policies and associated KPIs. CGI provide a single point of contact via our service desk using voice, or web portal, for any issues related to the Public Cloud platform. Regardless of the Public Cloud support agreement owner (CGI or the customer), CGI can open and track incidents on the buyer's behalf . We provide routine monthly reporting via our ITSM processes for all incident categories .

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: Hyper-V
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: Data storage/processing is logically segregated among consumers of Public Cloud using segregated VLANs, firewall rules (NSGs) and Azure Active Directory or other directory service such as AWS LDAP / AWS directory service for Microsoft Active Directory which facilitates security groups and user permissions, which aims to ensure that consumer data stored in shared data centres is not accessible by another organisation. In Public Cloud, one customer’s subscription can include multiple deployments, with each deployment containing multiple VMs; providing network isolation at several points: Each deployment is isolated from other deployments.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: CGI has been registered on this code since 2015 for its data centres in South Wales.; Microsoft Azure data centre efficiency initiatives are detailed at the following Microsoft URL; ; https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/explore/global-infrastructure/sustainability/#overview; Amazon AWS data centre efficiency initiatives are detailed at the following Amazon URL https://sustainability.aboutamazon.com/products-services/the-cloud?energyType=true

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  Fighting climate change

  Fighting climate change

  As a member of the Government Digital Sustainability Alliance, CGI leads others to protect and improve the health of our planet.; CGI in the UK has committed to achieve net zero by 2026, based on Science Based Targets (SBTs), achieving an 84% reduction in emissions across our operations from our 2019 baseline. We will use our Carbon Impact Tool to identify and track contracting body contract associated emissions, building these into our net zero plans to reduce any negative environmental impacts of contracts.; We have extended our climate change commitment into our supply chain such that 50% of our suppliers, by spend, will have set their own SBTs to reduce their climate impact by 2026. This will apply to suppliers we engage to support the delivery of call-off contracts. We are supporting suppliers through quarterly net zero knowledge sharing webinars. So far 23% of our suppliers, by spend, have set SBTs.; Our environmental engagement programme 'No Planet B' influences CGI members, clients, suppliers and communities to support environmental protection and improvement. We achieve this through activities such as litter picking and our tree and hedge planting programme where, together with clients and suppliers we have planted 19,500+ UK native trees. Our members partner with clients and suppliers on tree-planting days. We will invite contracting bodies and their ecosystem partners to participate in such activities, connecting them with the environment and increasing protection and enhancement awareness.; CGI's UN-supported research programme, Sustainability Exploration Environmental Data Science (SEEDS), brings organisations, academics and experts together to collaboratively devise/deliver environmental solutions. SEEDS is accelerating efforts to address climate change by researching climate mitigation solutions and waste reduction.; We will continue our partnerships with charities and Social Enterprises, including Canal and River Trust to mobilise action on environmental protection objectives through collaborating with local communities.

Pricing

• Price: £510 to £1,300 a unit a day
• 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 uk.gen.ccsframeworks@cgi.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.