KGN Software Ltd

KGN Cloud Kitchen

Cloud hosting experts from KGN Software Limited work collaboratively with customers to ensure that their Cloud estate meets their business requirements regarding scalability, availability, security and cost-effectiveness. We provide managed Cloud with hosting options (IaaS, PaaS, SaaS) from AWS, Azure, GCP, and other public, and private cloud providers.

Features

• Cloud Architecture Services – Public/Private/Hybrid and Infrastructure as Code
• Cloud Digital Readiness and Business Analysis Services
• Cloud Adoption and Transformation Services
• Cloud Deployment, Transition and Migration Services
• Cloud Patching and Monitoring Services
• Cloud Security Services
• Enterprise Architecture (TOGAF)
• Cloud Vendor evaluation and Cloud business case development
• Cloud Strategy Development – Current and Target Operating Models (TOM)
• Immutable infrastructure - Infrastructure as a Code (IaaC) Service

Benefits

• Reduced CapEx/OpEx – only pay for consumed resources, reducing overheads
• Evergreen Systems – latest versions available immediately
• Security by design, Privacy by design (GDPR)
• Reduced maintenance overhead – provisioning/retrial of new services is accelerated
• Access to bleeding edge services in ML, AI and Analytics
• Growth ready elastic compute, network and storage available on-demand
• Environmentally friendly - Reduced Carbon footprint – Greener IT
• Aligns with Government Cloud First Policy/Digital by Default standard
• Simplified and cost effective consumption based licensing
• Compatible will all other GCloud offerings and features

£408 to £1,200 a unit a day

• Education pricing available

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 publicsector@kgnsoftware.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

713101266169595

Contact

Mohammed Anis Ur Rahman
07515402791
publicsector@kgnsoftware.co.uk

Service scope

• Service constraints: KGN Cloud Kitchen has not identified any service constraints in our service offering.; For maintenance windows, ; KGN adheres to the following.; “Planned Maintenance”. ; KGN Cloud Kitchen provides the customer with as much notice as possible (at least twenty-four hours advance notice) of any planned maintenance, the details of which will be discussed and agreed upon in advance with the customer.; “Emergency Maintenance”. Whenever possible, ; KGN Cloud Kitchen provides the customer with at least six hours’ advance notice, of any such planned maintenance, the details of which will be discussed and agreed in advance with the customer.
• System requirements:
  • Flexible implementation
  • Flexible configuration
  • Flexible customisation
  • Flexible licensing agreements
  • Partnerships with AWS, Azure, UKCloud
  • End-to-end tailored management of cloud hosted services

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: This depends on SLAs and the agreed requirements with our customers
• 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: Web chat
• 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: Web chat is available via existing service management tools and a self-service portal. This is a bespoke feature which is designed to meet customers' requirements.
• Web chat accessibility testing: No specific testing has been conducted by KGN.
• Onsite support: Onsite support
• Support levels: KGN offer Cloud architectural design, implementation and operational support. Service Levels and KPIs are developed to focus KGN on realising the right outcomes according to the business priorities and drivers.; Our support services are tailored to the requirements of the customer and Service Levels are designed to meet the customers’ requirements. The cost of support depends on a combination of the support scope, the service levels required and the hours of service. Each support arrangement is configured to the complexity, and criticality of the services being managed and supported. It is also dependent on the underlying SLAs of the hosting platform provided by our partner.; ; KGN can provide a Service Delivery Manager Capability, escalation contacts and process for both technical and service-related escalations. KGN believes in Continual Service Improvement and agrees a process with customers as to how this activity is conducted to ensure mutual benefit.; ; Examples of the support arrangements KGN currently provides are as follows:; • Business hours support (Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 6:00pm);; • Extended business hours support (Monday to Friday 0800 – 2000);; • Core hours support (Monday to Sunday, 8:30am to 6:00pm);; • 24/7 support (365 days per year, 24 hours per day)
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Where relevant, KGN works with customers to define and validate their application requirements to determine the exact configuration of their solution. The on-boarding and off-boarding process is dependent on the specific requirements of the solution, and the delivery methodology agreed upon. Typically, this process includes documentation and knowledge transfer activities.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • ODF
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: KGN assists customers by planning and executing exit projects from cloud solutions. This is costed separately from other services as a standalone exercise.
• End-of-contract process: KGN assists customers by planning and executing exit projects from cloud solutions. Typically an Exit Plan is created and agreed upon with the customer which is then revised as required across the duration of contract engagement. This is costed separately from other services as a standalone exercise.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: Access Knowledge Articles, raise service/change requests and incidents, and review and respond to updates on requests and incidents. Agreed users can view Service Management reports.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: We suggest our customers contact KGN for specific requirements on API specs.
• Web interface accessibility testing: No specific testing has been conducted by KGN.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: We suggest our customers contact KGN for specific requirements on API specs
• API automation tools:
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • OpenStack
  • SaltStack
  • Terraform
  • Puppet
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: PDF
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
  • Other
• Using the command line interface: Agreed during delivery aligned to the users business requirements

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type:
  • Automatic
  • Manual
• Independence of resources: In order to guarantee that users are not affected by the demands from other users, our partners use resource reservations and shares such as internet bandwidth shaping. In addition, our hosting partners ensure that usage in terms of all resources are constantly monitored and increased accordingly relating to user demand; their capacity planning model supports the planning of future demands to acquire and implement additional resources based upon current resources and forecasted requirements.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting:
  • API
  • Email
  • SMS
  • Other
• Other usage reporting: We offer flexible option for the notification services on service limit.

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • HTTP request and response status
  • Memory
  • Network
  • Number of active instances
  • Other
• Other metrics: Any custom metrics require by the customer
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards
  • Regular reports
  • 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: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Supplier-defined controls
• Penetration testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Penetration testing approach: ‘IT Health Check’ performed by a CHECK service provider
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: All stored data is encrypted at rest and where desired, the keys can be held and managed by the customer. KGN supports various key management approaches including HSM. Access to data is controlled by Identity and Access Management by applying Role Based Access Control (RBAC) or Attribute Based Access Control (ABAC) aligned to the customers’ requirements.
• 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: 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:
  • Files
  • Virtual Machines
  • Databases
  • Objects
  • Configuration
  • Schemas
  • Data
  • Metadata
• Backup controls: KGN works closely with customers to understand their requirements and designs backup schedules to meet DR requirements based on defined Recovery Time Objectives (RTO) and Recovery Point Objectives (RPO). ; KGN uses cloud platform native capabilities and where necessary, third-party tooling to ensure that a robust backup service is in place in AWS, Azure, GCP and OCI. Changes to backups can be requested through our service desk and are subject to change control procedures to ensure the requested changes are made quickly and accurately in line with best practice and customer wishes.
• Datacentre setup:
  • Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
  • Multiple datacentres
  • Single datacentre with multiple copies
• Scheduling backups: Users contact the support team to schedule backups
• Backup recovery: Users contact the support team

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Bonded fibre optic connections
  • 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: KGN agrees appropriate service levels with customers to ensure the hosted, managed services meet the customers’ requirements. We ensure that we have the appropriate underpinning contracts and Operating Level Agreements (OLAs) in place to ensure we can deliver the levels of availability that are necessary.
• Approach to resilience: Our hosting partners’ services are deployed across a number of sites, regions and zones. Each zone is designed to eliminate single points of failure (such as power, network and hardware). We design solutions to ensure they span multiple sites, regions or zones to ensure service continuity should a failure occur.; ; Each datacenter is built to physical, environmental, and security standards in an active-active configuration, employing an n+1 redundancy model, ensuring system availability in the event of component failure. Components (N) have at least one independent backup component. All datacenters are online and serving traffic. In case of failure, there is sufficient capacity to enable traffic to be load-balanced to the remaining sites.
• Outage reporting: All outages will be reported via the platforms’ Service Status page and the notifications service within the platform providers’ portals. Outages are identified as planned maintenance, emergency maintenance, and platform issues. In addition, the designated KGN Service Delivery Manager contact customers proactively as appropriate. KGN develops custom portals for customers use.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google apps)
  • Limited access network (for example PSN)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
  • Other
• Other user authentication: KGN solutions integrate Identity and access Management (IDAM) and implement Role Based Access Control (RBAC) to meet customer and data sensitivity requirements. We implement Multi Factor Authentication (MFA) by default.
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Our hosting partners’ management interfaces are only accessed by KGN and not by the customers directly. KGN verify the identity of a user through out ASSIST support portal, where users will authenticate using a username and password. If a user chooses to call our service desk, we verify the identity of the caller by “secret word” or challenge and response before providing any information or services.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication: 2-factor authentication
• Devices users manage the service through:
  • Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
  • Dedicated device on a government network (for example PSN)
  • Dedicated device over multiple services or networks
  • 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)
  • 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: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get 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: No
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: ISO20000

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards:
  • CSA CCM version 3.0
  • ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: Our hosting partners have a number of inter-connected governance frameworks in place which control both how they operate and the manner in which they deliver cloud services to our customers. Many of these have been independently assessed against ISO20000, ISO27001, ISO27017 and ISO27018. Our hosting partners put in place an integrated suite of information security policies including but not limited to:; ; • Acceptable Use;; ; • Antivirus Protection;; ; • Asset Management;; ; • Business Continuity Management;; ; • Data Protection;; ; • Password Management;; ; • Personnel Management;; ; • Supply Chain Management.; ; These policies address purpose, scope, roles, responsibilities and management commitment. Similarly, KGN writes a customise Information Security Management Plan for each customer that explains how we managed and secure customer data within our systems. This is made available to the customer at contract commencement.

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: KGN follows TOGAF and ITIL-aligned Service Asset and Configuration Management (SACM) and Change Management processes. We maintain asset lists and a configuration management database any changes to which are governed by change control.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Our hosting partners have documented vulnerability management policies and processes, which have been implemented, maintained and assessed in accordance with the guidance from ITIL and the current ISO20000 and ISO27001 standards. KGN works with customers to ensure that cloud deployments are proactively managed to ensure security integrity using out hosting platform partners native tools and third party products where required.; ; KGN has a cyber security capability and works with other organisations (including NCSC) to assimilate real-time threat information which we use to make decisions relating to the mitigation of vulnerabilities in customer environments.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: Following best practice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), KGN and our partners protect platforms with 24x7 enhanced protective monitoring services, vulnerability scanning and assessment. Our approach to protective monitoring at minimum meets the Protective Monitoring Controls (PMC 1-12) outlined in NCSC document GPG13. It includes checks against systems events (SIEM) and network traffic analysis, including time sources, cross-boundary traffic, suspicious activities at a boundary, network connections and status of backups. Any alerts generated are logged and investigated 24x7. Any mitigating actions are agreed with the customer and carried out in line with SLAs agreed at contract commencement.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: KGN follows Service Management best practice for its incident management processes which is aligned to ITIL and ISO27001 standards.; Incidents can be reported through the KGN Service web portal or by telephone to our Service Desk operatives. Other incidents are triggered by alerts provided from the hosted platform and are treated in the same way.

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: Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, GCP, OCI, UKCloud
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: KGN separates customers using the logical separation capabilities of the Public Cloud planforms on which we build our solutions. All designs have the principles of secure by design and privacy by design at the heart. In Public Cloud Platforms, services are abstracted from physical hardware and so secure design techniques are used to ensure robust security boundaries are in place.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: Our hosting partners AWS and Microsoft (for Azure) use 50%+ renewable energy to power their data centres and are increasing this proportion every year through their stakes in renewable energy projects across the world.; ; UKCloud provide CarbonNeutral® cloud services by offsetting their direct and indirect carbon emissions – for every tonne of greenhouse gas emissions they produce in delivering cloud services, they buy a verified carbon offset which guarantees that an equivalent amount of greenhouse gas emissions is reduced from the atmosphere through a renewable energy or clean technology project.

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

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

  Fighting climate change

  For KGN, a fundamental element of our philosophy towards meeting Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Ethical Business commitments, is the approach we take towards safeguarding the environment and the measures we implement to incorporate sustainability within our business activities. We are committed to building and shaping sustainable solutions to minimise emissions, pledging to become Carbon-Neutral by 2030 and to reach Net-Zero by 2040, 10 years ahead of the UK Government’s Net-Zero target. As stewards of the environment, we seek to advance environmental sustainability by preserving natural resources, reducing emissions and limiting waste. To achieve this, we will:; • Reduce 15% of our relative energy consumption at our UK sites by 2025;; • Reduce 40% of our general commuting and business travel emissions by 2025;; • Procure 80% of our electricity through renewable contracts by 2030;; • Offset any remaining emissions after 2030 by researching options and strategies to fulfil our promise.; We work with our customers to reduce emissions and climate change through direct working practices and develop solutions to support these aims. We believe the greatest contribution KGN makes to environmental stewardship comes from the work we do for our customers, and we would welcome the opportunity to work together to achieve our joint ambitions.

  Covid-19 recovery

  KGN seeks to help local communities and charities affected by COVID-19 by creating roles for new employment, re-training and other return-to-work opportunities. We recognise that charities and local communities are still recovering from the pandemic. In 2021, as part of the ‘Move the Needle’ Initiative, KGN UK received $100,000 from our US parent company to donate to charitable causes. These were allocated to organisations that our employees regularly volunteer in their local communities. Our CSR activities enable employees to log their hours in a volunteering portal.; We also recognise that the under-30s demographic in particular have been adversely affected by the pandemic. KGN creates opportunities for new employment and retraining for young people with our partners, like futureproof, and through funding their studies with the Digital Start Fund. In addition, we know working 9 to 5 does not suit everyone – Our flexible working patterns help build a culture and leadership style focused on seeing and connecting with each person in their entirety: their life situation, potential contributions, and unique capabilities. Our KGN Life programme is a direct response to the pandemic, we enhanced our existing flexible working policies to empower our employees by promoting a dynamic and modern approach to how, when and where they work, making the workplace accessible to everyone. This recognises the unprecedented challenges presented by the pandemic.

  Tackling economic inequality

  As one of the first organisations in the world to gain the ISO44001 certification for collaboration across the supply chain ecosystem, KGN is committed to tackling economic inequality through collaboration. We identify areas of economic inequality to work on through our Gender Pay Gap report, signatory status’ on the Tech Talent Charter and Race at Work charter and through outside perspectives, such as Inclusive Employers, to identify areas of economic inequality and inform our approach to improvements.; We have implemented multiple initiatives to reduce the disability employment gap, such as annually funding scholarships for disabled veterans with the Open University or holding workshops with our Employee Resource Groups on topics like ‘Autism Awareness in the Workplace’. At KGN, every ‘all hands’ employee call at KGN has a British Sign Language translator; providing equal access to senior leadership communications, business information and updates, and we currently offer sign language classes to every employee.; KGN also aims to support those from disadvantaged or minority groups with in-work progression with mentoring and our e-learning academy. Our external mentoring programme with organisations like Futureproof enables us to role model diverse workplaces and share learnt experiences with those early in careers from diverse backgrounds themselves. We have also introduced diverse hiring practices, including unconscious bias training, diverse panel interviewing and gender-neutral language in all job adverts to ensure equal opportunities for all.

  Equal opportunity

  KGN has created a diverse and inclusive workplace where every colleague has the opportunity to contribute, share their unique ideas and talents, and be supported in their career. Two of our KGN Values, ‘Inclusion’ and ‘Collaboration’ underpin everything we do, from initial recruitment through training, development, engagement, leadership and day-to-day business activities. We are constantly learning and updating our Inclusion and Collaboration efforts with specific initiatives relevant to tackling workforce inequality. Our culture is one of openness and transparency, reinforced by our 7 Employee Resource Groups which provide platforms for key discussions and raise awareness of important issues, such as ‘positive action versus positive discrimination’ and ‘menopause in the workplace’. KGN empowers and challenges everyone to passionately and continuously seek, share, and apply new knowledge, skills, and behaviours. We believe our employees are the best curators of their careers so KGN offers a diverse menu of learning and development options for employees to choose to grow their careers in the way that makes sense for them. We support all of our employees with team check-ins to training to 1-to-1s and mentoring.

  Wellbeing

  KGN believes in ensuring that our employees can access the tools needed to develop their careers and empower them to create the right work-life balance. KGN Life is our renewed commitment to a culture that puts our employees’ careers, flexibility, and well-being first. We know employees can bring their best when they feel their best. Employees who are holistically well – mentally healthy, financially solvent, and physically fit – are better able to engage fully and find their life and work more satisfying, improving employee retention and keeping people in work. KGN offers a supportive environment with an active Health & Wellbeing Employee Resource Group that engages employees and directs them to helpful resources, such as our Employee Assistance programme, workshops, webinars and ‘e-zines’, to help build their best selves. We have dedicated manager training available for key health and wellbeing topics like managing stress, menopause in the workplace, and mindfulness practises. Our resources are also available to our subcontractors. Furthermore, our staff routinely volunteer their time and skills to support the wellbeing of the communities in which we live and work, either by working with charities or volunteering at their local schools and colleges as STEM ambassadors.

Pricing

• Price: £408 to £1,200 a unit a day
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• 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 publicsector@kgnsoftware.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.