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TALKTALK BUSINESS DIRECT LIMITED

Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN)

Managed SD-WAN is a remotely managed, cloud-hosted overlay network solution that addresses Cloud-first customers’ evolving needs for improved network performance for applications and users.

Features

  • Manages traffic centrally
  • Scales Cloud application bandwidth requirements
  • Provides central management and visibility.
  • Ensures encryption of network traffic.
  • Can be rapidly deployed to new sites
  • Shifts traffic to better performing links
  • Prioritises critical applications
  • Allows for multiple forms of connectivity
  • Underpinned by Cisco-Meraki best of breed hardware and software capabilities
  • Single pane of glass management dashboard

Benefits

  • Prevents network congestion and improves performance
  • Automatically improves user experience
  • Simplifies network operations
  • Provides data security
  • Improves scalability
  • Maintains network stability
  • Consistent performance across the network
  • Improves resilience
  • Accelerates triaging and troubleshooting
  • Granular data availability improves business reporting

Pricing

£305.80 an instance a month

  • Education pricing available

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 andrew.stokes@talktalk.business. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

7 3 7 1 4 0 2 3 5 3 5 1 9 2 6

Contact

TALKTALK BUSINESS DIRECT LIMITED Andrew Stokes
Telephone: 07976911843
Email: andrew.stokes@talktalk.business

Service scope

Service constraints
N/A
System requirements
N/A

User support

Email or online ticketing support
Email or online ticketing
Support response times
All questions and queries will be acknowledged immediately upon receipt and we will endeavour to respond as quickly as possible during the working day. For faults we will use all reasonable endeavours to determine if the Managed Service Request is due to equipment failure or requires Vendor Support no later than 45 minutes after the Managed Service Request has been logged.

Priority level Updates (Business Hours)

Priority 1; 4 hours response; 4 hours (target fix)
Priority 2; 8 hours response; target fix by end of next Business Day.
Priority 3; 24 hours response; target fix as soon as reasonably possible.
User can manage status and priority of support tickets
No
Phone support
Yes
Phone support availability
24 hours, 7 days a week
Web chat support
No
Onsite support
Onsite support
Support levels
TalkTalk Business operates a 24x7x365 Service Management Centre, which identifies, troubleshoots and restores standard operational functionality of the service.

Incident prioritisation

High – P1: Primary business function of customer is stopped with no redundancy or backup, immediate financial impact
Medium – P2: Primary business function of customer is severely degraded or supported by backup or redundant system, probably significant financial impact
Low: Non-critical business function is stopped or severely degraded, possible financial impact

Priority level updates (Business Hours)

Priority 1 – 4 hours response; 4 hours target fix
Priority 2 – 8 hours response; target fix by end of next Business Day.
Priority 3 – 24 hours response; fix as soon as reasonably possible.

TTB offers free support as standard as per the SLA’s above, in the event the customer requires bespoke service levels TTB can provide enhanced support where additional costs are dependant upon requirements. All customers will be allocated a named Account Manager who will have a team of dedicated Technical specialists that will support on any customer requirements.
Support available to third parties
No

Onboarding and offboarding

Getting started
TalkTalk Business, working with the customer, will define a plan for establishing connectivity for the Managed Components. There will be a single point of contact (SPOC) for the customer during the Service Transition. They will:

· Compile and complete the Transition Requirement
· Document the necessary to transition the in-scope devices and assess changes required to the customer’s platform, network, and processes to activate the Managed Components
· Define the required inventory information and topology requirements necessary to activate the Managed Components
· Create appropriate role-based access for the cloud login portal
· Provide relevant fault reporting and escalation details

As part of the transition, onsite training will be provided along with user documentation and a full inventory of the products and services; online training material will also be provided.
Service documentation
Yes
Documentation formats
  • HTML
  • PDF
End-of-contract data extraction
At the end of a customer’s contract, TTB has a cease process in place. All cease requests must be received by email from the customer with a completed Cease Request Form, if required, this will then create a case within Salesforce.

The Customer Service Team will query the address on the Cease Form to confirm that it matches the address held on our records.

Should the customer require access to data upon exit, a full inventory in the form of an ASR report will be provided to the customer, which will include an up-to-date asset list, including site addresses, post codes, bandwidth, router types, software versions and monthly costs via the customer’s Account Manager.
End-of-contract process
At the end of a customer’s contract, TTB has a cease process in place. After your minimum term, you can end the contract or any connection forming part of a contract by giving 40 days’ notice. Any equipment remains the property of TTB and, upon termination of service, should be returned to us as requested. All cease requests must be received by email from the customer with a completed Cease Request Form, this will then create a case within Salesforce.

The Customer Service Team will query the address on the Cease Form to confirm that it matches the address held on our records. Once confirmed the cease process will begin.

The exit plan, developed by the Account Manager with the Customer to ensure a smooth handover, will be provided by email and followed up with a phone call to answer any queries or highlight any missing information. The plan will cover:
•Options for asset acquisition by the customer
•Transfer of service/supply contracts
•Licence terms for IPR
•Data transfer
•TUPE
•Transition and handover planning
•Exit plan review and update

Provided the minimum contract term has expired and payment is up-to-date, no further charges or additional costs will be payable.

Using the service

Web browser interface
Yes
Using the web interface
The SD-WAN Web Dashboard is a powerful, cloud-based network management platform that unifies IT operations into a single, intuitive interface. The dashboard streamlines network configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting, enabling service set up and changes to be made simply and intuitively. As all applications are proprietary to its software, there are no limitations in configuring this service.
Key features of the dashboard:

Centralised Management: From switches and routers to wireless access points and security appliances, the dashboard allows IT teams to build and scale networks rapidly. It provides a holistic view of your entire distributed network infrastructure.

Secure SD-WAN and IoT: The dashboard simplifies the deployment and management of secure SD-WAN solutions. It also supports Internet of Things (IoT) devices, ensuring seamless connectivity and security.

Less Troubleshooting, More Productivity: With the dashboard, IT professionals spend less time troubleshooting and more time focusing on strategic initiatives. Whether it’s optimising library programs or activating new sites, the dashboard streamlines tasks.

Advanced Licensing: Organisations can ramp up network security by obtaining security licences to enable a Layer7 Firewall. This ensures robust security features and compliance across the network.

The SD-WAN dashboard empowers IT teams to conquer complexity, enhance control, and accelerate network experiences.
Web interface accessibility standard
None or don’t know
How the web interface is accessible
The Web interface is easy to navigate and accessed via a web browser. Users with disabilities or sensory impairment can use their available browser settings to alter aspects such as font size and colour contrast to ensure the service is accessible to them. Some browsers, including Google Chrome, Safari, and Mozilla Firefox, also support text to speech. Documentation and other resources that support accessibility are available.
Web interface accessibility testing
Basic testing of the web interface has been conducted internally and, as part of the future web interface testing, we plan to roll out full user testing across all areas as part of the product roadmap.
API
Yes
What users can and can't do using the API
Users can setup this service by generating an API key from the SD-WAN dashboard and then populating it into their programming interface.

Changes can then be made from their application and pushed directly to the SD-WAN dashboard.

The API used with the TalkTalk Business SD-WAN is a robust and RESTful interface that empowers network administrators to manage and monitor their network at scale.

The dashboard is limited to 10 calls per second from the customer application, below are some of the elements that can be achieved:

Automated Configuration and Deployment:
Add new organisations, admins, networks, devices, VLANs, and more.
Configure thousands of networks swiftly, streamlining deployment across locations.

Centralised Control and Monitoring:
The API provides a unified view of your entire TalkTalk Business SD-WAN infrastructure. Monitor network health, traffic patterns, and historical data.
Build custom dashboards tailored to specific use cases, such as store managers or field technicians.

Enhanced Security and Compliance:
Implement security policies strategically. Leverage end-to-end encryption and secure communication between managed devices and the cloud platform.

The API used by TalkTalk Business enables efficient network management, secure provisioning, and seamless scalability all while interacting directly with the cloud platform and devices.
API automation tools
  • Ansible
  • Puppet
API documentation
Yes
API documentation formats
  • HTML
  • PDF
Command line interface
No

Scaling

Scaling available
No
Independence of resources
Each service will be provided with its own direct internet access circuit, removing tenanted states, which provides a dedicated service with no shared resource. Each SD-WAN device used on the edge of the network is for the individual customer network only, regardless of the method of deployment.
Usage notifications
No

Analytics

Infrastructure or application metrics
Yes
Metrics types
Other
Other metrics
  • Location Analytics
  • Traffic Analytics
  • Application Analytics
  • Switch Traffic Analytics
  • WIFI Presence Analytics
  • Security Analytics
  • IOT Analytics
  • Fault and incident diagnostic reports
  • User information
  • Hardware and software analytics
Reporting types
Real-time dashboards

Resellers

Supplier type
Reseller providing extra features and support
Organisation whose services are being resold
Cisco Meraki

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)
User control over data storage and processing locations
No
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
‘IT Health Check’ performed by a Tigerscheme qualified provider or a CREST-approved service provider
Protecting data at rest
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
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
No

Data-in-transit protection

Data protection between buyer and supplier networks
  • Private network or public sector network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
Data protection within supplier network
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

Guaranteed availability
TTB measures the performance across the Network and any services provided by any Third-Party Operator are outside the scope of this.

Internet Access Platform Matrix Target Service Level Agreements

• Network availability 99.99%
• Network roundtrip latency < 30ms
• Network packet loss < 0.1

Regarding refunds where an SLA is not met, agreed customer service credits will be applied and paid in line with customer contracts.
Approach to resilience
The focus of the network is where the vast majority of business sites are. We have an 800GB super core fibre network to handle the demand around the capital with two 400GB fibre rings around the major populated areas of the country and several 100GB rings around less populated regions, all of which has a high capacity backhaul to the core network.

Our core network is highly resilient - multiple nodes and high levels of redundancy with 99.99% availability. We offer Network and Openreach (R02) resiliency options to prevent single points of failure.

The datacentres combine tier 3 high-availability with very low additional energy use in the cooling and power system, resulting in an annualised PUE of less than 1.3 within an IL3 security environment.

The systems employed ensure that our datacentres are highly scalable, ensuring an unusually low PUE at low IT loads as well as when the facility is at its maximum capacity. This results in a carbon footprint that is nearly half the industry norm.

Based in a multi-layered security complex with multiple levels of redundancy at both a power and network level, this facility ensures service continuity for customers hosting their equipment.
Outage reporting
TTB has an Integrated Operation Centre (IOC) that will send the Incident Communication as per the Major Incident Communications Content & Distribution Lists document via email alerts.

TTB will prioritise the incident according to the criteria and record the appropriate value for each of the following categories:
· Service
· Incident Type
· Work Type
· Reported Source
· Product Categorisation Tier

Our Internal and/or External Communications teams will send an email to all recipients in the Major Incident Communications Content & Distribution Lists document, describing:
· Impact
· Symptoms
· Manual workaround (if available)
· Instructions or additional information for customers and/or agents (if available)
· Provide a progress update

Email alerts will be provided in the event of a major service outage (MSO).

Identity and authentication

User authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Username or password
Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels
The Internal Network and Security Team has access and is responsible for user access management. The level of access is based on the principle of 'least privilege' and only those members of staff who need access will be granted it. We have a formal JML process with role-based access governing the majority of applications and systems. Access is removed within 24hrs of an employee leaving the business. Recertification of user access is completed bi-annually.
Access restriction testing frequency
At least every 6 months
Management access authentication
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
Devices users manage the service through
Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)

Audit information for users

Access to user activity audit information
No audit information available
Access to supplier activity audit information
No audit information available
How long system logs are stored for
Between 6 months and 12 months

Standards and certifications

ISO/IEC 27001 certification
Yes
Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001
BSI
ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date
21-09-23
What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover
We have no products listed that are not covered under ISO27001. All products that we have detailed within this template and service description document are covered under the ISO270001 Certification.
ISO 28000:2007 certification
No
CSA STAR certification
No
PCI certification
Yes
Who accredited the PCI DSS certification
SecureTrust
PCI DSS accreditation date
21/08/2021
What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover
The service doesn’t require card payment facilities/capabilities so is not applicable to PCI DSS.
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
TTB has a Master Security Policy in place and operates an Information Security Management System via its Security Operations Centre (SOC) for the reporting of all potential security breaches. The system is based on industry good practice (NIST CSF, PCI DSS) and is externally certified to ISO 27001. This covers a range of policies and procedures to ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of information, including a Master Security Policy, Privacy Policy and GDPR Policy.

The reporting of any security incidents is done directly to the Security team security@talktalkplc.com or via the internal Secureville web page. The escalation of incidents will be to the Head of Security for review and resolution. All colleagues must follow the data handling requirements in this policy and share the responsibility to protect data. It is mandatory for all employees new and current to do security training at least once a year.

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
Change management is assessed, logged, and tracked through our Service Management tool, from the point at which we raise the initial change request until that change is closed off.

Quality comes as standard throughout the change process, with everyone involved in this process having the requisite training. Managers of teams carrying out changes will be accountable for the quality of the work undertaken by their teams. There is zero tolerance for unauthorised changes.

Security impact will be assessed through a risk assessment and structured model to ensure all risks are captured and clearly identified.
Vulnerability management type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Vulnerability management approach
The Network Security Team conducts security scanning of all our infrastructure on a bi-weekly basis. We also conduct weekly threat and vulnerability scanning of all our network assets via InsightVM. Critical/high risk vulnerabilities patches will be applied within 14 days. All other updates are applied as soon as possible using a monthly patching cycle. Security updates will be assessed and prioritised based on threat level, likelihood of compromise, consequences of compromise, environmental characteristics and regulatory or accreditation-based requirements. We receive information about potential threats from InsightVM from weekly scanning and we use Altiris for Patch Management.
Protective monitoring type
Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
Protective monitoring approach
TTB operates a security incident management program for the alerting of any potential compromises and deploys endpoint protection technology. All incidents are logged on the action plan tracker and updated with notes/associated actions to mitigate risk through to restoration.

Users can report Priority level 1/level 2 incidents by telephone and a response will be given within 1 hour. Incidents can be reported by email/web portal.

Incident reports will be provided upon request. For network incidents, these reports are distributed to impacted customers via email. Reason for Outage reports for priority 1 faults are provided by email within 10 working days.
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
We have a pre-defined process for common events and fault related reporting through our 24/7 Technical Support Centre (TSC).

Users can report Priority level 1 and level 2 incidents by telephone (08454566541/08453103444) and by email/web portal.

Incidents, when resolved, will be notified to the customer as part of the logged ticket fault. Reports will be provided upon request for network incidents, and these reports distributed to impacted customers via email.

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)

Separation between users

Virtualisation technology used to keep applications and users sharing the same infrastructure apart
No

Energy efficiency

Energy-efficient datacentres
Yes
Description of energy efficient datacentres
We follow and implement (where possible) all initiatives recommended in the EUCoC, including (but not limited to) the following:
• Air flow management
• Hot/cold aisle configuration
• Regularly reviewing cooling settings (increased temperature/disabling humidity control etc.)
• Selecting high efficiency plant and equipment
• Comprehensive energy monitoring
• Decommissioning of redundant platforms and consolidation of systems
• Accreditation to ISO 50001

Audits are held annually to ensure compliance and adherence to the EUCoC.

Social Value

Social Value

Social Value

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

Fighting climate change

The TalkTalk Business’s Executive Committee meets regularly to review identified and emerging risks, which inform our strategic planning process. This is reviewed by the Board, which has identified and is monitoring emerging risks around the long-term implications of climate change and will be featured in upcoming climate-related financial disclosures.
In November 2020 TalkTalk Business committed to a Science Based Target (by signing the Business Ambition for 1.5 Degrees) for its carbon emission reductions, to achieve net zero by 2050. Since then, our near-term targets have been validated.
Key actions include:
• Switching to a renewable electricity tariff, which we have completed, and switching to green gas by 2026
• Changing from diesel to biofuel for back-up generators, to be completed in 2024.
• Company car policy requiring all fleet vehicles to be petrol, hybrid or electric. Transition has commenced, with initial EV orders placed for the fleet
• Third party environmental policy with requirements to measure and report carbon footprint and specific product carbon footprint – as of 2023, over 80% of our suppliers have committed to, or set, science-based targets.
TalkTalk Business has reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by 94% over 5 years (FY18-23) and reduced energy in its operations by 23% in the same time period.
TalkTalk group has science based targets to reduce scope 3 emissions by 42% between FY20 and FY30.

Covid-19 recovery

The COVID-19 period challenged TalkTalk Business, and during lockdowns, mitigations included:
• Measures to ensure the health and safety of our workforce and customers whilst we continued our provision of critical services.
• Focusing on employee wellbeing by introducing training for People Managers, implementing new guidance around wellbeing support and regularly surveying colleagues on their wellbeing to inform our policies.
• Prioritising service of customers with vulnerable end-users and enhancing our digital service support for all customers
• Working with key partners to expedite home-working solutions for customers to ensure they could continue to operate effectively.

We adapted our corporate responsibility work to tackle acute needs and support the most vulnerable in society. We made donations to local efforts to counter exclusion and vulnerability due to the pandemic, including:
• Salford Food Share Network to provide emergency food support
• Donating laptops to Salford College to support home-learning.
• Working with local charity the Hamilton Davis Trust to support the production of Personal Protection Equipment for local health workers, providing financial support and office space to their operations for several weeks.

Post COVID-19, we turned our attention to how we could help our customers and communities to recover:
• We worked with Salford Community & Voluntary Service and NHS Salford to fund a Youth Wellbeing Fund, which offered funding to projects aimed at boosting wellbeing
• We offered free broadband to jobseekers via the DWP

To continue supporting post-pandemic recovery, we are helping organisations focused on reducing isolation and loneliness. For example, we provide connectivity to The Branch free of charge, which supports their Computer Corner, through which they support service users to develop online skills. We also provide a dedicated leased line to The Samaritans Manchester branch at no cost, allowing them to manage inbound calls more effectively.

Tackling economic inequality

As well as paying our colleagues the real living wage, our commitment to good employment, previously as part of the wider TalkTalk Group, has been recognised by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, as we were accredited as a Member of its Good Employment Charter. To achieve membership status, we took part in a thorough assessment, which was reviewed and approved by a technical review panel and Charter Board. We offer employees training with clear development paths that address skills gaps and result in recognised qualifications to support further career ambitions.

We are proud to be a Salford business committed to building strong connections within our city. We’ve been involved in initiatives to promote social wellbeing and economic growth in the region, including:
• Working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), supporting local employment initiatives and hosting virtual jobs fairs for vulnerable demographics.
• Participating in the Kickstart scheme to offer paid placements to young people, with 3 of the young people securing permanent roles within TalkTalk Business.
• Our Employee Networks partner with local organisations like the Proud Trust, Salford Pride and the University of Salford, and we promote local volunteering opportunities to our colleagues, including trustee positions in local charities.

We will develop working practices and partnerships with activities to support relevant sector-related skills growth in the contract workforce during the Framework.

For example, we currently provide connectivity to The Branch, free of charge, which supports their Computer Corner, through which they help service users apply for jobs and learn computer skills. We also provide a dedicated leased line to The Samaritans Manchester branch at no cost, allowing them to manage inbound calls more effectively, and providing a lifeline to people struggling to cope with socio-economic and personal challenges.

Equal opportunity

TalkTalk Business celebrates diversity and is an inclusive place to work, treating everyone fairly with diverse representation at all levels and areas. There are no barriers to progression and appointments are based on merit.

Our programmes to promote equal opportunity include:
• Women in leadership roles - we have strong female representation right at the top; and have set aspirational targets when recruiting women, with a particular emphasis on middle and senior leadership. As a result, our proportion of women in these roles has grown over the last 12 months. We seek formal development paths for our female talent and participated in a ‘Women in Leadership’ apprenticeship programme that was created in partnership with the apprenticeship provider, Raise the Bar. This saw a 70% increase in promotions for participants.
• We provide support for Ambitious about Autism, the national charity standing with autistic children, young people and their families. As part of the pioneering internship programme, Employ Autism, we have recruited interns to teams across the business, in roles from regulation to procurement and commercial.
• We publish our Gender Pay Gap report annually. Our mean pay gap of 10.4% has reduced from 12.9% in 2019. This reduction has been due in part from promoting female talent.
• As part of TTG, our employee networks were very successful. Our BAME employee network, Empower, mentors young black students at the University of Salford, responding to higher than average drop-out rates. This has had a positive impact in its first year. At TTB, we are looking to continue this success by establishing our own employee network groups.

As part of TalkTalk Group we’ve previously achieved the ‘Inclusive Top 50 UK Employers List’ for best practice across all strands of diversity.

Wellbeing

Initiatives to support the mental and physical wellbeing of our workforce (which we will continue during the framework) include:
• Our Give Something Back policy offers three paid volunteering days per year and encourages local volunteering to promote community connection. We are currently organising a ‘donate your time and talent’ programme to support local care homes during Dementia Awareness week in May 2024.
• Our Wellbeing Community employee network shares resources and hosts events on physical and mental health and wellbeing, e.g. discussions on male mental health. Network members are champions across the business, creating blogs, interviews and podcasts about wellbeing.
• We recognise mental, physical, financial and social risks for various roles and offer employee support resources
• Employee Assistance Programme with free 24/7 access to advisors or website resources in app form, which has been very positively received.
• A Financial Wellbeing Portal helps colleagues to manage and monitor their financial health.
• Employer contributed Private Medical Insurance offered to all colleagues, along with Digital GP service and regular wellbeing Webinars from provider Aviva.
• Hardship loans to support colleagues with short term no interest loans in times of financial crisis. Our employee forum, OneVoice, includes quarterly Health, Safety and Wellbeing meetings to ensure colleague confidence in our processes.

Pricing

Price
£305.80 an instance a month
Discount for educational organisations
Yes
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 andrew.stokes@talktalk.business. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.