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Phonio UK Ltd (Telio)

Secure Inmate Telephony (PIN Phone)

Phonio is a PIN Phone telephony solution especially developed for use in the prison environment. Phonio enables secure telephony, allowing inmates greater private contact with permitted recipients. All calling activity is controllable through an advanced intuitive call management platform which includes security monitoring and account administration. Safe and easy!

Features

  • Fully scalable delivery
  • Enables secure and controllable outbound telephone calling for inmates
  • Security monitoring of all non-legal calls in real time
  • Playback and download of individual recordings for internal/external investigations
  • Dynamic intelligence reporting on call traffic and behaviour
  • Full inmate account management
  • Permitted and denied number lists on inmate/group/global level.
  • Tailored role-based access control for guards and administrators
  • Full back up/recovery of recordings, traffic and user activity
  • Cashless system- authentication by UserID and PIN

Benefits

  • Telephony boosts inmate communication and drives resocialization
  • Can be deployed in individual cells or in common areas
  • Full service helpdesk available
  • Enables multiple simultaneous financial account transacations
  • Enables fast access to security and admin related data/features
  • Full audit log provides visibility of user activity
  • Integration possibility with client’s offender management system
  • Dynamic pricing models available, can become a revenue source
  • Fully encrypted data storage and data exchange
  • Technology has been proven with customers in 18 countries

Pricing

£0.75 a device a day

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 jim.mountain@tel.io. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

5 1 5 4 4 5 7 4 6 2 1 6 9 3 4

Contact

Phonio UK Ltd (Telio) Jim Mountain
Telephone: +4915251920318
Email: jim.mountain@tel.io

Service scope

Software add-on or extension
Yes, but can also be used as a standalone service
What software services is the service an extension to
Additional applications can be supported via API
Cloud deployment model
Private cloud
Service constraints
The Phonio system is specifically designed to address the security and administrative requirements of the detention environment. This includes prisons, forensic treatment establishments, youth corrections, et cetera. The service can operate on COAX or Ethernet networks.
System requirements
None - Phonio can be delivered as a complete solution

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
Support response Service available based on following schedule: - Support helpdesk: 09:00 till 17.00 Monday to Friday
- Maintenance services: 24 hours per day, 365 days a year - We also offer an online help facility and incident management
area where our customers can access support and create, update and view incidents 24 hours per day 7 days per week.
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
9 to 5 (UK time), 7 days a week
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
Onsite support
Support levels
When delivering service to our customers Phonio/Telio applies ITIL methodology. Service Desk work flows and document
management are software supported. Within the Service Centre we set clear targets to attain this highest level of customer
satisfaction. Examples from current customer operations: - Phonio provide a stable service and timely resolution of problems
- Uptime of the service to exceed 99.5% - Correct administration of all incidents (requests) within the ticketing system (status
update, update tickets and escalate ticket to IT as necessary) - First level resolution rate, 90%. Resolve tickets at the Service
Centre level, without escalating to the IT Department. - Complete up-to-date CMDB, hardware traceable. - Average wait time
of completed calls < 30 seconds for our customers when they call the Service Centre - We are pro-active contacting our
customers Our service team is equipped with all necessary roles and skills to meet these requirements.
Support available to third parties
Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
Telio will provide on-site training at each establishment for all relevant users of our system. We will explain how the telephone system works for the prisoners and we will provide full staff training on the use of the software. If there is a significant system update a new training event will be planned. An online help facility is available as well as a support help desk.
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
  • HTML
  • PDF
End-of-contract data extraction
At the end of any contract all relevant data will be securely extracted from the system in a format which will be usable by the next provider. This will be delivered in a secure medium only to authorised personnel. Data will be removed from the Telio system and securely destroyed by a recognised data
specialist.
End-of-contract process
Telio will facilitate and cooperate with the incoming supplier to an agreed transition plan. This will include exporting and making available data in an agreed format. All supplied equipment remains the property of Telio. This will be removed at zero cost to the customer.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Supported browsers
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
Application to install
No
Designed for use on mobile devices
No
Service interface
Yes
User support accessibility
None or don’t know
Description of service interface
The telephony service is accessible from phone devices provided by Telio. The system administration interface has a basic HTML4 form based UI.
Accessibility standards
None or don’t know
Description of accessibility
Telephones feature a volume control feature. The IVR menu enables functionality for visually impaired inmates. The phones can be mounted at different heights to suit users.
Accessibility testing
None
API
No
Customisation available
Yes
Description of customisation
Users (staff) with authorised privileges can customise the features (e.g: access control, operation times, call limitations) of our service through administration web interface. Customisation can be
achieved on an individual, group, site or global level.

Scaling

Independence of resources
Contract based capacity reservation. But also load balancing
and graceful degradation.

Analytics

Service usage metrics
Yes
Metrics types
Usage statistics and metrics reports
Reporting types
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Reports on request

Resellers

Supplier type
Not a reseller

Staff security

Staff security clearance
Conforms to BS7858:2019
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
No
Datacentre security standards
Managed by a third party
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 another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Other
Other data at rest protection approach
Database encryption, encryption of backup files. Access
control by means of username and password.
Data sanitisation process
Yes
Data sanitisation type
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • 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

Data importing and exporting

Data export approach
Most reporting features have an Excel or CSV export option on the web user interface. Phone calls can be exported in MP3 format and it is recommended that these recordings are stored on an encrypted device.
Data export formats
  • CSV
  • Other
Other data export formats
  • Ms Excel
  • Mp3
Data import formats
  • CSV
  • Other
Other data import formats
Based on the customers inmate management system

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
IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
Phonio UK guarantees 99.5% availability of service
Approach to resilience
The system has many levels of backup and disaster recovery strategy (Database backups, Virtual Machine backups, configuration backups). More details available on
request.
Outage reporting
Our health monitoring system is able to send email alerts.

Identity and authentication

User authentication needed
Yes
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
Authorised staff will have access based on a username and password. User rights and permissions
will be assigned based on function and roles. This will be managed by an assigned superuser of the customer organisation. Only predefined IP ranges will be able to access the management services.
Other access restriction methods can be offered on request.
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

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

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
TÜV Rheinland Cert GmbH
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
10/07/2017
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
-
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
No
Cyber essentials
Yes
Cyber essentials plus
No
Other security certifications
Yes
Any other security certifications
  • GDPR certification in progress
  • IT Grundschutz

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
Telio's handbook on Information Security Management
is at the basis of our ISO 27001 Certification.

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
The Phonio configuration and change management approach is based on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) best practices.
Vulnerability management type
Supplier-defined controls
Vulnerability management approach
Our solution is a closed system (private cloud) which in itself greatly reduces the number of potential threats.Vulnerability Reports and patches of third party suppliers receive follow up without delay. At this stage we
choose not to disclose further specific detail on our vulnerability management approach. However we can confirm that our services have been accepted by and delivered to over 650 institutions run by prison services in 18 countries mostly in Europe.
Protective monitoring type
Supplier-defined controls
Protective monitoring approach
Our solution is a closed system (private cloud) which in itself greatly reduces the number of potential compromises. The system is proactively monitored 24/7. Incidents receive follow up without delay. At this stage
we choose not to disclose further specific detail on our protective monitoring approach. However we can
confirm that our services have b
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
The Phonio incident management approach is based on the Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
best practices.

Secure development

Approach to secure software development best practice
Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

Connection to public sector networks
No

Social Value

Social Value

Social Value

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

Fighting climate change

Phonio UK has used Cloud deployment to contribute to climate change mitigation efforts through energy efficiency, renewable energy adoption, and sustainable infrastructure practices. By embracing green computing principles and prioritizing environmental sustainability, Phonio UK has contributed to building a more sustainable and resilient digital infrastructure for the future.

Covid-19 recovery

Phonio UK COVID-19 recovery efforts in prisons have addressed the mental health and well-being of inmates, who may experience heightened stress, anxiety, or isolation during the pandemic.

Many prisons expanded access to telephones for inmates to maintain communication with their loved ones during lockdowns and visitation restrictions. This included extending phone call durations, increasing the number of available phones, and reducing or eliminating associated fees to ensure affordability. In the aftermath of covid these initiatives have in many cases been kept in place as they are shown to benefit both inmates and staff.

Inmate phone systems have continued to be integrated with existing rehabilitation programs to support inmates' educational, vocational, and therapeutic goals. Provide access to digital learning platforms, job training resources, and mental health support services through phone-based initiatives to promote rehabilitation and re-entry readiness.

Tackling economic inequality

Phonio UK strives to make phone services available at affordable rates and in some cases have provided subsidies for low-income inmates to ensure that costs do not become a barrier to communication with family and support networks outside of prison. We always provide transparent pricing structures and cap call rates to prevent exploitation.

We recognise the importance of family support in re-entry success, we facilitate the provision of resources and support services to help maintain and strengthen family connections during incarceration. This can mitigate the economic strain experienced by both inmates and their loved ones.

Equal opportunity

Phonio UK encourage the implementation of a phone system that provides equitable access to communication for all inmates, regardless of their financial situation or personal circumstances. We support customers to ensure that inmates with disabilities have access to accessible phone devices and support services to facilitate communication.

We have Implemented fair usage policies to ensure that all inmates have equitable access to phone services. This may include limiting call durations, frequency of calls, or restricting access during certain hours to prevent monopolization of phone resources by a small number of individuals.

We have established feedback mechanisms to solicit input from inmates and their families regarding the phone system, including suggestions for improvement, concerns about accessibility or affordability, and feedback on the quality of service provided. Use this feedback to continuously improve and refine the phone system to better meet the needs of all stakeholders.

Wellbeing

We have demonstrated the social value of our initiatives by measuring outcomes and assessing the impact of our products and services on inmate rehabilitation, staff efficiency, and overall prison performance. This may involve collecting data, conducting evaluations, and soliciting feedback from stakeholders to gauge the effectiveness of our contributions.

We have prioritised the privacy and security of inmate communications by implementing measures such as call monitoring for security purposes while respecting confidentiality, ensuring secure connections to prevent eavesdropping or tampering, and providing confidential access to legal or counselling services.

Phonio UK recognise the importance of maintaining family connections for inmate rehabilitation and well-being. We support customers in facilitating communication between inmates and their families, including assistance with setting up phone accounts and scheduling calls

Pricing

Price
£0.75 a device a day
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 jim.mountain@tel.io. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.