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Answers and Solutions ltd

Dedicated Server / Hardware Hosting Service. Any OS. Any application. Any Platform

This is a fully hosted server. It is unshared and supplied with a virtualisation platform. It will allow skilled IT administrators to install an operating system of choice and to maintain their own applications.

Available with up to 2 TB of RAM memory and a variety of Hard Disc sizes.

Features

  • No Sharing of Software Systems with other G-Cloud users
  • Higher capacity than a VPS Pool

Benefits

  • No resource sharing so bespoke settings possible.
  • Full access to the power of the Physical Server

Pricing

£500 to £3,000 an instance a month

Service documents

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

4 8 5 9 0 2 9 4 2 8 0 5 8 0 6

Contact

Answers and Solutions ltd Christopher Wainwright
Telephone: 02920733722
Email: Christopher.Wainwright@letsdiscuss.co.uk

Service scope

Service constraints
We cannot support software apps installed on a Physical server. You will be responsible for Operating System support and application support.

From the GDPR perspective, they are provided on the understanding that you are acting as the data processor, and will fully secure the system and your data.
System requirements
Your staff must understand how to support all products installed

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
Online support requests will be acknowledged and users will be able to view the status of tickets.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
Yes
Online ticketing support accessibility
None or don’t know
Phone support
No
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
No
Support levels
Support is limited to server reboots, OS reinstalls and adjustment to the hardware provisioned.
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
We provide logon details on creation of a valid account. VPS only accounts must be pre-funded.
Service documentation
No
End-of-contract data extraction
Users can extract their data using the tools provided by their choice of software
End-of-contract process
No professional services are included. Compute resources will be released on cessation.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Using the web interface
A dedicated server is primarily managed via a SSH client. The system will have a VPS management system installed.

Initiate server reboots / server status can view viewed from a web client
Web interface accessibility standard
None or don’t know
How the web interface is accessible
A dedicated server is primarily managed via a SSH client.
Web interface accessibility testing
A dedicated server is primarily managed via a SSH client. There are several clients available.
API
No
Command line interface
Yes
Command line interface compatibility
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
Using the command line interface
Users have full root access. They can do anything that their chosen OS is capable of doing.

By default we do not provide access to the hardware KVM, but that can be provided. The security implications will need to be discussed and agreed upon.

Scaling

Scaling available
No
Independence of resources
You will be the only user on the server, all the physical resources is devoted to your usage. You will be sharing the data pipe, but this has adequate capacity. If you wish, you can order a dedicated data pipe.
Usage notifications
Yes
Usage reporting
Email

Analytics

Infrastructure or application metrics
No

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

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
Managed by a third party
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
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
In-house destruction process

Backup and recovery

Backup and recovery
Yes
What’s backed up
Virtual machines can be backed up and restored.
Backup controls
There is no control over this. Backups user data needs to be taken using backup facilities available via the installed applications
Datacentre setup
Single datacentre
Scheduling backups
Supplier controls the whole backup schedule
Backup recovery
Users contact the support team

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)
  • Other
Other protection within supplier network
Our networks systems are within a datacentre with the minimum of physical access. Virtual networking can be deployed, but if required, this would also indicate that the client has security concerns above the usual run-of-the-mill. They may need one of our other solutions with higher levels of isolation implemented.

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
The buyer will be eligible for one free days hosting for every hour the service was inaccessible to the buyers users, capped at 100% of the days in a free month. Planned maintenance events taking place at weekends or overnight are excluded. Details are in the service description document.
Approach to resilience
Full details on request
Outage reporting
A public dashboard available to customers will indicate any outages.

Identity and authentication

User authentication
Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
Access is restricted via strong passwords
Access restriction testing frequency
At least every 6 months
Management access authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Username or password
Devices users manage the service through
  • Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
  • 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
You control when users can access audit information
How long user audit data is stored for
Between 1 month and 6 months
Access to supplier activity audit information
You control when users can access audit information
How long supplier audit data is stored for
Between 1 month and 6 months
How long system logs are stored for
User-defined

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
31/12/2019
What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover
A VPS is out of remit for our PCI DSS accreditation since there is nothing to be accredited.
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
No
Security governance approach
Good Practice security governance is practiced. Our Physical server(s) are located in a restricted access datacentre. Strong passwords are enforced and stored safely.

ID's of clients appointed officers are stored and will be used to validate requests for support and assistance.
Information security policies and processes
The staff at our office do not have physical access to the hardware, ensuring that data at rest is protected.

Username and password combinations are securely stored.

Operational security

Configuration and change management standard
Supplier-defined controls
Configuration and change management approach
Not Applicable to a Dedicated Server
Vulnerability management type
Undisclosed
Vulnerability management approach
Not Applicable to a Dedicated Server
Protective monitoring type
Undisclosed
Protective monitoring approach
For security reasons, we do not publish details of protective actions taken since such details substantially increases the risks we face.
Incident management type
Undisclosed
Incident management approach
Not Applicable to a Dedicated Server

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
Third-party
Third-party virtualisation provider
Linux KVM
How shared infrastructure is kept separate
This service is hosted using purpose designed VPS management software

Energy efficiency

Energy-efficient datacentres
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
£500 to £3,000 an instance a month
Discount for educational organisations
No
Free trial available
No

Service documents

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.