ASCENT DIGITAL SERVICES UK LIMITED

Posit Software Licenses

Ascent is a partner of Posit . Posit is an integrated development environment for R, and Python. We can provide the full suite (Posit Team) or components licences, as well as dedicated call-off consultancy packages to aid product usage.

Features

• Environment for building and deploying R, Python applications
• Workbench IDE used to create both R or Python code
• API's available to connect to most supporting technologies
• Connect allows automated publishing analytics output to the web
• Package Manager - control use of CRAN packages
• Offers Jupyter Notebook interface
• Deploys on cloud service
• Call-off data consultancy for Posit products
• Platform trouble shooting
• Data Science best practices using Posit suite

Benefits

• Delivers efficiency and encourages best practice
• Leads to significant savings in time and duplication of effort
• Ensures automated, traceable output to build trust and integrity
• Maximises team efficiency and project delivery
• Most widely used interface for open source analytics development
• Makes interoperability between R and Python very simple
• Same interface for R and Python developers
• Easy to build Interactive dashboards in Shiny
• Easy to publish analytics output to wider audience via Web

£66 a person a month

• Education pricing available
• Free trial available

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 salescommercial@ascent.io. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

540265943634841

Contact

George Earp
+441189913387
salescommercial@ascent.io

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: There are some constraints for the system configuration, the Multi-user pro versions require Linux based servers.; ; Our preference is to deploy RStudio on Azure.
• System requirements:
  • Linux Server for Pro versions
  • R or Python programming language
  • R package repository
  • Some form of Authentication scheme

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: We have four care levels:; ; 1. URGENT ; 1st RESPONSE: 1hr; UPDATE: every 2hrs; TARGET FIX: 8hrs; DEFINITION: software inoperable/business critical system unusable; ; 2. HIGH; 1st RESPONSE: 4hrs; UPDATE: every 4hrs; TARGET FIX: 2 working days.; DEFINITION: significant service degradation, non-critical business function/software is unusable.; ; 3. MEDIUM; 1st RESPONSE: 8hrs; UPDATE: every 8hrs; TARGET FIX: as part of regular software release/update schedule; DEFINITION: Degradation of individual service or information issues; ; 4. LOW; 1st RESPONSE: 2 working days; UPDATE: part of release schedule discussion; TARGET FIX: as part of regular software release/update schedule; DEFINITION: Small service degradation/service request no impact
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: No
• Support levels: We have four care levels, cost is negotiable depending on the project:; ; 1. URGENT ; 1st RESPONSE: 1hr; UPDATE: every 2hrs; TARGET FIX: 8hrs; DEFINITION: software inoperable/business critical system unusable; ; 2. HIGH; 1st RESPONSE: 4hrs; UPDATE: every 4hrs; TARGET FIX: 2 working days.; DEFINITION: significant service degradation, non-critical business function/software is unusable.; ; 3. MEDIUM; 1st RESPONSE: 8hrs; UPDATE: every 8hrs; TARGET FIX: as part of regular software release/update schedule; DEFINITION: Degradation of individual service or information issues; ; 4. LOW; 1st RESPONSE: 2 working days; UPDATE: part of release schedule discussion; TARGET FIX: as part of regular software release/update schedule; DEFINITION: Small service degradation/service request no impact
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We spend time with the data science team to review their workflows and use cases and then optimising the RStudio instance to conform with their requirements
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: The data is stored in a version control repository (such as GIT) and this can be accessed completely by the customer. They can download all their artefacts in a simple action at any time. We will help customers in line with this and can provide additional support at a charge (typically T&M)
• End-of-contract process: It is simple a matter of downloading your data, which will be stored in the format that it was uploaded, so no de-coding. We will help customers in line with this and can provide additional support at a charge (typically T&M)

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: No
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: None or don’t know
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: There are a number of API's available for connecting to / from RStudio software products and other CRAN packages and third party tools. The way they are used are similar but depend on the type of interface that is required. Full explanation on API's can be found on the RStudio Website
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • PDF
• API sandbox or test environment: No
• Customisation available: No

Scaling

• Independence of resources: Dedicated server environment

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Volume tracking and User tracking. Any searchable item in the database can be reported on.
• Reporting types: Real-time dashboards

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: RStudio PBC

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS)

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: In-house
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: No
• 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: Simple download
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats: Exported as txt file
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
  • Other
• Other data import formats:
  • Original format
  • Microsoft Office Supported Formats
  • Any File Format

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: We cannot offer a guarantee on availability and do not offer an SLA agreement to cover this. However our belief is that the system is maintainable to a level of 99.5% availability
• Approach to resilience: Available on request - please see Rstudio terms - we are a reseller of the service.
• Outage reporting: Outages are reported by the vendor - RStudio via a public dashboard

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Role based
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • 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: At least 12 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: At least 12 months
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: SMC
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 08/11/2023
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: N/a
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• 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: Yes
• Security governance standards: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: ISO 27001 Standard is followed. ISMS Steering Committee chaired by ISO, is responsible for overall ISMS implementation in Ascent and enforcement and compliance with policies and procedures. Ascent also annually conducts internal and external Audit.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Not applicable - we resell Rstudio licences with professional services. It is not a managed service
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: A client can report a suspected vulnerability by email and this will be investigated. The submitted report will be assigned a tracking number. We will then respond to you, acknowledging receipt of the report, and outline the next steps in the process. We use version 2.0 of the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) to evaluate potential vulnerabilities. The resulting score helps quantify the severity of the issue and to prioritize our response. A response is within 24 hours and regular updates are given. There is no guarantee on speed of patch deployment.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: Not applicable - we resell RStudio licences with professional services. It is not a managed service
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Not applicable - we resell RStudio licences with professional services. It is not a managed service

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 v3.0)

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Covid-19 recovery

  We have been delivering remote development services for years and as such, we have been well placed to create a hybrid working environment that creates the right balance for employees and organisations. Further information on our hybrid working policy can be shared as required and it's impact on the Covid-19 recovery for digital services in the UK public sector.

  Equal opportunity

  We strongly believe in equal opportunity in the workplace. As an SME in the public sector, we want to focus one on area and do it very well. Our current focus is women in tech is bi-fold:; ; Women returning to work. We are actively working to attract female talent back into the sector after time off. Our flexible working policy allows women to come back part time as they ramp their career back up after breaks.; ; Development of leadership and progression for women. The IT sector is dominated by men and we are working on development paths for talent to come through the business and into leadership positions.; ; This is an ongoing workstream and more information can be shared as required.

  Wellbeing

  Wellbeing is critical to a happy and successful workplace. We have a dedicated people team that works with our employees and seeks to understand cultural differences and how to align wellbeing initiatives to those.; ; These vary from country to country. Please request further information to understand how we approach wellbeing in UK and other EU nations.

Pricing

• Price: £66 a person a month
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: The full functionality of the software is available limited to a time period of one month.

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 salescommercial@ascent.io. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.