Sempre Analytics

IBM Watson Assistant

Deliver exceptional customer experiences anywhere with IBM Watson Assistant. Transform your business with artificial intelligence that understands customers in context to provide fast, consistent, accurate answers across any application, device or channel. Remove the frustration of long wait times, tedious searches, and unhelpful chatbots with the leader in trustworthy AI.

Features

• Voice or text virtual agents
• Speech to Text - can be customised for accuracy
• Text to Speech - natural sounding voices
• Natural Language Understanding (NLU)
• Clarify intent with disambiguation
• Simplified tooling with no code required
• Conversation analytics & auto-learning
• Integration with Watson Discovery - an AI powered search tool
• Customer Service center software integration
• High availability & disaster recovery

Benefits

• Quickly build and deploy AI applications trained by business users
• Adapt and customise to work in specific domains
• Easily build, train, and deploy conversational interactions
• Deploy into any application, device, or channel on any cloud
• Easily recognise more topics and content than any other chatbot
• Accurate and complete answers with robust topic understanding
• AI-powered intelligent search and human agent handoff
• No code, drag-and-drop interface to build dialog
• Deliver more consistent, faster response to customers

£0 an instance 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 commercials@sempreanalytics.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

614586433015022

Contact

Commercials
020 3137 9944
commercials@sempreanalytics.com

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: IBM Watson Discovery, IBM Watson Speech to Text, IBM Watson Text to Speech, plus other services available on IBM Cloud.
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: No constraints
• System requirements:
  • Internet connection & web browser
  • Runs on IBM Cloud or IBM Cloud Pak for Data
  • Can be deployed on AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud
  • Can be deployed on premise

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Remote support from Sempre is offered during working hours, where the SLA is under 2 hours. On-site support is available but at an additional cost. Technical support is provided 24/7 by IBM.
• 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), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Standard Support is incorporated into the fees. This includes access to our support desk and IBM 24/7 technical support. Email/Online ticketing support is provided with access via Zendesk portal. SLAs are provided to customers based upon time taken for response and the severity of the request. Priority 1 tickets have a response objective of 2 hours during weekdays.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: A Services engagement is normal for the initial setup and to provide knowledge transfer to key users. Online documentation, tutorials, training courses and articles are also available.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: HTML
• End-of-contract data extraction: Each service on the IBM Cloud platform differs in the ability to export data.; We will return the Client Data within a reasonable period in a reasonable and common format upon receiving written instructions from the Client prior to termination or expiration.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract services continue to run but the user will be prompted to add a new payment method or sign a new contract. Access via the UI will be disabled but services continue to run and there is no immediate loss of content.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: None
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: REST API access is available to create new services, interact with existing services, look up services catalog, retrieve information about running apps & services, automate creation/deletion of apps etc. Each service also provides it’s own unique API. See https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/watson-assistant
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats:
  • Open API (also known as Swagger)
  • HTML
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: Yes
• Description of customisation: New users can be added, service can be split into organisations & spaces to separate projects. Quotas and spending limits can be applied.

Scaling

• Independence of resources: The architecture of IBM cloud services maintains logical separation of client data. Internal rules and measures separate data processing, such as inserting, modifying, deleting, and transferring data, according to the contracted purposes.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Billing & Usage metrics, Application logs & performance metrics, User login & API events.
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards

Resellers

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

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
  • 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 3.0)
• 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 CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• 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: Report output may be exported in PDF, CSV, XLS or XML formats.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • Other

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: IBM will encrypt content not intended for public or unauthenticated viewing when transferring content over public networks. Further, unless excluded by a TD, IBM will enable use of a cryptographic protocol, such as HTTPS, SFTP, and FTPS, for Client’s secure transfer of content to and from the Cloud Service over public networks.
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: 99.95% for applications/services configured for high availability across 2 or more IBM Cloud geographic regions. 99.5% for applications/services deployed in a single geographic region.
• Approach to resilience: Available on request
• Outage reporting: Email alerts and available on a webpage

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Role based access restricts access to management interfaces and support channels. Roles include developer, manager, auditor and billing manager. Different roles see different interfaces.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)

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: Between 1 month and 6 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Bureau Veritas
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 02/08/2023
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: The infrastructure and platform this offering is run on is ISO/IEC 27001 compliant. The current SaaS application is also compliant and certification can be found with this link: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/compliance/iso-27001
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: Yes
• CSA STAR accreditation date: 06/04/2018
• CSA STAR certification level: Level 1: CSA STAR Self-Assessment
• What the CSA STAR doesn’t cover: IBM publishes its CSA STAR Level 1 Self-Assessment Consensus Assessments Initiative Questionnaires (CAIQ) annually, including self-assessments for IBM Cloud® Infrastructure (IaaS), IBM Cloud Platform (PaaS) and IBM Cloud Services (SaaS). A broad range of IBM VPC, PaaS and SaaS services have achieved CSA STAR Level 2 certification by an external third party audit firm. Detail can be found here: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/compliance/csa-star
• 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: IBM has an Information Technology (IT) Security policy that establishes the requirements for the protection of IBM's worldwide IT systems and the information assets they contain, including networks and computing devices such as servers, workstations, host computers, application programs, web services, and telephone systems within the IBM infrastructure. IBM’s IT Security policy is supplemented by standards and guidelines, such as the Security Standards for IBM's Infrastructure, the Security and Use Standards for IBM Employees and the Security Guidelines for Outsourced Business Services. Such are reviewed by a cross-company team led by the IT Risk organisation every six months. IBM has a dedicated Vice President of IT Security who leads a team responsible for IBM's own enterprise data security standards and practices. Responsibility and accountability for executing internal security programs is established through formal documented policies. IBM Services teams also have dedicated executives and teams who are responsible for information and physical security in the delivery of our client services.

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: IBM maintains policies and procedures to manage risks associated with the application of changes to its Cloud Services. Prior to implementation, all changes to a Cloud Service, including its systems, networks and underlying components, will be documented in a registered change request that includes a description and reason for the change, implementation details and schedule, a risk statement addressing impact to the Cloud Service and its clients, expected outcome, rollback plan, and documented approval by IBM management or its authorised delegate.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: With each Cloud Service, as applicable and commercially reasonable, IBM will a) perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessments before production release and routinely thereafter, b) enlist a qualified and reputable independent third-party to perform penetration testing and ethical hacking at least annually, c) perform automated management and routine verification of underlying components’ compliance with security configuration requirements, and d) remediate any identified vulnerability or noncompliance with its security configuration requirements based on associated risk, exploitability, and impact. IBM takes reasonable care to avoid Cloud Service disruption when performing its tests, assessments, scans, and execution of remediation activities.
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: IBM maintains and follows policies requiring administrative access and activity in its Cloud Services’ computing environments to be logged and monitored, and the logs to be archived and retained in compliance with IBM’s worldwide records management plan. IBM monitors privileged account use and maintain security information and event management policies and measures designed to a) identify unauthorised administrative access and activity, b) facilitate a timely and appropriate response, and c) enable internal and independent third party audits of compliance with such policies. IBM systematically monitors the health and availability of production Cloud Service systems and infrastructure at all times.
• 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: IBM:; -maintains and follows incident response policies aligned with NIST guidelines for computer security incident handling, and will comply with data breach notification requirements under applicable law.; -investigates security incidents, including unauthorised access or use of content or the Cloud Service, of which IBM becomes aware, and, if warranted, define and execute an appropriate response plan.; -promptly notifies Client upon determining that a security incident known or reasonably suspected by IBM to affect Client has occurred.; -provides Client with reasonably requested information about such security incident and status of applicable remediation and restoration activities performed or directed by IBM.

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

  • Fighting climate change
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  Sempre Analytics are a proud partner of Sustainably Run, whose agroforestry practices, resources and training benefit the environment, counterbalancing CO2, biodiversity, employment, and community in emerging nations. This partnership is supported every time a meeting is booked with a Sempre employee. Through this successful partnership, Sempre was awarded a National Gold Green Apple Environmental Award in 2021.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Through the Sustainably Run partnership, Sempre Analytics help provide the following to families in developing communities:; - sustainable sources of food through agroforestry plots; - agroforestry education for reliable and maximum crop yields and economic sustainability; - income and infrastructure through regular crop income as well as crop surplus.

  Equal opportunity

  Sempre Analytics is committed to encouraging equality and diversity with the make-up of our workforce always being monitored in areas such as age, gender, ethnic background and disability. In addition to this, we support our charity of choice: Over The Wall, through annual charity fundraising events. Over The Wall is a national children’s charity that provides transformative activity camps to empower children with serious health challenges by using Therapeutic Recreation.

  Wellbeing

  Sempre Analytics supports the wellbeing of families in developing communities through our partnership with Sustainably Run, and the wellbeing of children (and their parents/guardians) with health challenges through our charity of choice: Over The Wall. We have also incorporated wellbeing into our culture and strategy. Examples include:; - remote/home working; - flexible hours; - annual company trips ; - regular social events; - health insurance; - mental health first aiders and professional stress counselling.

Pricing

• Price: £0 an instance a month
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: Watson Assistant Lite Instance can be free of charge, providing everything you need to get started with conversational AI.

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 commercials@sempreanalytics.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.