Pi Communications

Electronic Presentation of Evidence for Courts and Public Inquiries

Our solution for electronic presentation of evidence (EPE) for courts and public inquiries facilitates live presentation, annotation, manipulation, and sharing of a range of document and media files across many formats. It is staffed by expert operators and includes fully secure hosting and management of evidence.

Features

• Presentation and annotation of documents including PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets
• Presentation and annotation of media including images, audio and video
• Side-by-side display of up to 4 documents
• Functionality including zooming and expanding
• Functionality including highlighting, redaction, annotation with text, lines and shapes
• Facilitates live sharing of evidence with in-person or remote participants
• Integrates with videoconferencing, livestreaming, and any other distribution system
• Software solution operating on a private cloud network
• Provision of secure data storage, and hardware for software operation
• Supported in-person by expert technical operators

Benefits

• Enables more dynamic, enhanced interrogation of all types of evidence
• Allows for improved ease of remote participation
• Eliminates physical evidence preparation, distribution and management
• Saves significant cost and time involved in physical evidence preparation
• Provides improved control of documents compared to physical evidence sharing
• Maintains a log of all evidence displayed and annotations applied

£21.90 a unit

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 ddouglas@picomms.tv. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

738514313907853

Contact

Daniel Douglas
02890600655
ddouglas@picomms.tv

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model: Private cloud
• Service constraints: None
• System requirements: Windows or Windows for Mac OS

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: We respond to all support requests within 1 hour during business hours (08:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday). ; ; We provide an emergency email address for out of hours support requests, and aim to respond to all out of hours requests within 3 hours.
• 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: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: Onsite support is delivered by specialist Support Engineers. Onsite support is charged at an hourly rate as per the Pricing Document.; ; Remote support is delivered by specialist Remote Support Technicians. Remote support within business hours (08:00 - 17:00 Monday - Friday) is included within the service offering. Remote support outside of service hours is charged at an hourly rate as per the Pricing Document. ; ; Support can be requested via email and phone, directed both to our dedicated support contacts or the Account Manager .
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: Mobilisation and onboarding is a fully managed service. ; ; A dedicated Project Manager will lead mobilisation and roll out, working with the client to define the scope and exact requirements of the service to customise the solution as necessary. Mobilisation also includes technical setup and hardware install as necessary, evidence onboarding, creation of case files and bundles, agreement of working procedures for hearings, and as-live testing, ; ; The service includes expert technical Operator staffing to operate the solution, however onsite and online training for client personnel can be provided, tailored to client requirements. Available training includes but is not limited to end user access and usage, technical troubleshooting, evidence management and case file preparation, EPE operations, as well as training to Counsel in efficient and optimised working with EPE Operators.; ; Full user documentation can also be provided in PDF format.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data handover is facilitated by the assigned Account Manager. Service usage and audit logs can be provided when the contract ends (or at intervals during service delivery), and client data held and used within the software can be transferred back when the contract ends or permanently deleted if preferable for data security purposes.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract, access to the software is withdrawn, and any supplementary hardware which may have been provided will be removed. Project data, case files and bundles will not be retained unless specifically requested during planning and mobilisation. All client data will either be transferred back to the client or permanently deleted depending on client preference, at the end of the contract. There will be no additional costs.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: No
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: Yes
• Differences between the mobile and desktop service: There is no difference between mobile and desktop service.
• Service interface: No
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• API: No
• Customisation available: No

Scaling

• Independence of resources: A dedicated, private Cloud Solution is deployed to each client, a dedicated operator and management support is allocated to each client for the duration of their required service. The solution is scalable with capacity and storage customised to client requirements. The solution is standalone and increased demand by other users does not impact upon usage by each client.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: Service usage and audit logs can be provided at intervals during service delivery or at the end of the contract.
• Reporting types: 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: 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 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
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: A range of system and usage data can be exported, including document data, case data, and an audit log of usage. Training can be provided in exporting data, or our Operators can provide data to clients in a CSV file or PDF.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • Other
• Other data export formats:
  • Portable Document Format (.PDF)
  • Load File (.OLL)
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats:
  • Portable Document Format (.PDF)
  • Microsoft Word (.DOC and .DOCX)
  • Microsoft Excel (.XLS and .XLSX)
  • Microsoft PowerPoint (.PPT and .PPTX)
  • Joint Photographic Experts Group (.JPEG)
  • Portable Network Graphics (.PNG)
  • H.264 (.MP4, .M4V and .MOV)
  • MPEG-4 (.MP4, .M4V and .MOV)
  • MPEG Audio Layer III (.MP3)
  • PCM Wave (.WAV)

Data-in-transit protection

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

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: We guarantee complete availability of software and systems for all planned pre-live preparation and live usage. We also guarantee availability of personnel including operators for all scheduled sittings, technicians for support (as detailed below), and in terms of management availability for escalation. ; ; In terms of support requests, we respond to all support requests within 1 hour during business hours (08:00 - 17:00 Monday to Friday). We provide an emergency email address for out of hours support requests, and aim to respond to all out of hours requests within 3 hours.; ; Additional, specific SLA terms and service credits can be agreed on for each service.
• Approach to resilience: Our data centre setup is highly resilient in that our software and all data storage is fully redundant with immediately available backups and failover solution. All data is backed up daily and at the end of sessions. Furthermore, data is encrypted. System and data access is strictly controlled through multi-factor authentication. All hardware is stored in locked racks, with restricted physical access only for approved, vetted personnel. Resilience measures are regularly checked, including completeness and availability of backups and failover solutions, all other security measures, and business continuity/disaster recovery plans.
• Outage reporting: Our system sends automated email notifications to our support team in the event of a service outage. Our Project Manager will report to the client service manager when an outage occurs, providing updates through to issue resolution on root cause, remedial actions, and lessons learned, including any changes to systems or workflows to prevent reoccurrence.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access is based on user permissions and assigned user level. Our Support Team assign and administer profiles for Administrators, and customisable User levels based on required access to stored data, ability to import / export / configure data, and presentation mode. Interface view and functions are restricted based on profile level and permissions.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password

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: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: Citation ISO Certification
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 31/07/2023
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: There are no exclusions to our certification.
• 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: Our security policies and processes are fully ISO 27001-compliant. Our documented, standardised policies and processes are externally audited annually, and are subject to ongoing review and update by our Information Security (IS) Officer. Our IS Officer is responsible for management and enforcement of policies and processes through implementation of training and assessment, liaison with line managers to review performance and competence of all staff, and spot checking adherence and compliance across application of a range of processes across all functions and roles at all levels within the organisation. We have a range of security policies and processes in place, including but not limited to those for: Data Protection, Access Control, Backups, Cryptographic Controls, Information Classification and Exchange, Networking, Passwords, Remote Access, Security, and Incident Reporting and Management.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: All hardware and software assets are logged, monitored and regularly audited. Assets are subject to planned maintenance and updates through scheduled, risk-assessed procedures implemented by our Support Technicians.; ; We undertake software development as a continuous process which we thoroughly manage and quality assure for functionality and security. ; ; All changes are implemented through formalised change control procedures - all changes are thoroughly alpha tested by developers and beta tested in simulated environments before being deployed live for end users.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: We have a programme of procedures for vulnerability management and managed detection and response. We undertake regular information systems mapping, auditing and risk assessment. We assess potential threats on a ongoing basis through vulnerability scanning, including active and automated monitoring systems. We additionally undertake annual penetration testing. ; ; We apply standard, scheduled updates monthly and security updated are applied in the first instance upon their availability. ; ; We proactively monitor information about potential threats from sources such as CVE Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures https://cve.mitre.org/).
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: We perform active monitoring of data, systems and networks to identify any unauthorised access or access. All personnel have clearly defined roles for monitoring and reporting any suspected or potential compromises and all responses are managed via our standardised process. ; ; In the event of a potential compromise, we will revert to the most recent uncompromised data while our team performs root cause analysis and implements a solution.; ; We respond to incidents immediately upon identification; clients will be informed in the first instance following an incident and updated as remedial actions are taken and a solution is implemented.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: We have documented policies, processes, and standard operating procedures in place which are followed for Incident Management and response. ; ; Incidents are reported internally through escalation forms to our Support Team and end users can report incidents via phone or email to Account Managers or the Support Team directly.; ; Incident Reports are tickets, and Incident Status Updates and Revolution Reports are provided via secure 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)

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

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

  Fighting climate change

  This service supports fighting climate change through providing a paperless, digital alternative to the traditional approach to evidence presentation. Our system eliminates use of large amounts of paper, ink and electricity to print daily, large bundles of documentary evidence for participants in court or inquiry hearings. Our service also facilitates remote participation in hearings as evidence can be digitally shared on video communications platforms – this eliminates unnecessary travel and emissions, helping to fight climate change. ; ; Additionally, in delivering this service we take various measures to fight climate change including: undertaking Environmental Risk Assessments in for all mobilisation projects and for defining service workflows and operating procedures; being highly selective in choosing suppliers, manufacturers and sub-contractors based on thorough review of their environmental sustainability and the sustainability and ethics of their supply chain; we select equipment rated for optimal energy efficiency and design solutions to minimise energy consumption and wastage where feasible; in shipping equipment and facilities we always seek to minimise additional or unnecessary packaging and packing; we ensure that all decommissioned electronic and electrical assets are disposed of according to EU WEEE or RoHS directives.; ; Moreover, at an organisational level, measures include: we are an ISO 14001-accreddited company, and continuously review, improve and strength our approach to sustainability; our approach is defined, documented, and communicated internally and externally in our various policies including our Environmental Policy, sustainable Development Policy, Energy Policy and Waste Policy; we operate a digital-first ‘paperless office’ approach to minimise and eliminate unnecessary printing wherever possible, and make extensive use of virtual meeting platforms to minimise unnecessary travel for meetings internally and with clients; and we are currently 2 years into 1 5-year plan to replace our corporate fleet with EVs (as of 2024, 20% of our existing petrol/diesel fleet has been replaced with EVs).

  Covid-19 recovery

  This service supports COVID-19 recovery and wider H&S/pandemic-preparedness and response through providing a digital replacement for a physical requirement, and by facilitating remote participation in court and inquiry hearings. In providing a digital solution for the management and presentation of documentary and media evidence, this service eliminates the requirement to manually, physically prepare and distribute hard-copy evidence bundles to (potentially very large) numbers of people attending courtrooms and hearings, on a daily basis. This service therefore eliminates an opportunity for potential COVID-19 or other virus transmission. Additionally, and more significantly in terms of prevention, this service facilitates remote and hybrid/fully virtual participation in court or inquiry hearings through allowing evidence to be digitally presented through full integration with video communications platforms. This removes the requirement for physical, in-person attendance, allowing vulnerable or COVID-positive individuals to attend and participate, and supporting social distancing in courts and hearing rooms, providing an invaluable function in terms of prevention and transmission management. Further to this, when in-person operations or technical support are provided, our Operators and Technicians can wear masks and PPE as required. All equipment is disinfected and sanitised prior to and after each use, and our personnel adhere to our ISO 45001-accreditted procedures in all operational processes. More broadly, in delivering services, we make extensive use of video conferencing for meetings, use remote access for infrastructure monitoring and routine maintenance and updates, and facilitate remote working for our staff, to support COVID-19 recovery and to adhere to H&S best practice for preventing and controlling transmission of infections. Additionally we have undertaken facilities installations for clients alongside technology installations to minimise transmission risk, including ergonomic redesign of furniture for social distancing, installing HEPA filter systems, installing partitions and screens, and sanitation stations on premises.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Pi Comms is committed to tackling economic inequality through providing opportunities to employment for people who face challenges entering employment or the sector specifically. Measures include having no mandatory requirements or qualifications for certain posts; offering training placements and training roles where employees can join the company at an entry level and progress through experience and training and development (including individuals not otherwise in employment, education or training); recruiting, advertising opportunities, and engaging potential employees through a broad range of channels including through relationships with organisations dedicated to supporting individuals facing challenges to employment. ; ; We are also committed to tackling economic inequality at a strategic level through our approach to sustainable development, to ethical and transparent conduct in all of our business practices, and to working with sub-contractors and suppliers who can demonstrate their ability to meet and match our standards. Measures we utilise include undertaking regular supply chain review and auditing to ensure we adhere to our internal requirements for supply chain diversity, flexibility, resilience and quality. We have standards existing and new suppliers must meet in terms of their ability to demonstrate evidence against sustainability and ethical standards, of the integrity of their own supply chains, and sourcing of assets and their component parts and materials (including attainment of or adherence to recognised standards and guidance such as ISO26001 in Social Responsibility, the International Labour Organisation’s ‘Labour Inspection Convention’, the OECD’s ‘Due Diligence Guidance for Responsible Business Conduct’, or the Responsible Mineral’s Initiative’s ‘Responsible Minerals Assurance Process’ [RMAP]). We are also proactive in identifying opportunities to engage with, work with, hire or procure from SMEs or collaborative networks of smaller business to build and maintain a diverse supplier base.

  Equal opportunity

  Pi Comms are committed to providing equality of opportunity to all applicants, staff and contractors, and utilise a range of strategic and operational measures to do so, and to continuously improve in this area. ; Our objectives for and approach to providing Equal Opportunity is set out in our Equality and Diversity Policy, and implemented throughout the organisation by our senior management team. Our Equality and Diversity Policy defines our ethos as an organisation, and our procedures and mechanisms extending across recruitment, HR, staff management, and training and personnel development, to encourage and foster diversity and inclusivity, and remove barriers to progress for all.; Our Staff Handbook and training provides clear guidance on Equality and Diversity, staff rights and entitlement, and responsibilities and responses to any discrimination, bullying or harassment. Training in this area is provided to all staff during induction and on an annual basis, including, for example, in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Awareness, Equality at Work Legislation, and Neurodiversity.; We actively seek out a broad range of applicants for posts: among wider measures, we post opportunities widely across a range of platforms and sites, we engage with schools and colleges to attract trainees and applicants, and we recruit both highly qualified personnel and novice trainees with no (or few relevant) qualifications.; We invest heavily in continuous professional development of all staff, including induction and compliance training, technical and role-specific training, and culture and ethos training. We utilise inhouse training programmes, specialist training partners and membership associations, and accredited third-level educational courses and industry or discipline-specific training are also utilised, ranging from short-term highly specific training modules to post-graduate qualifications.; Pi Comms has an almost even gender balance, including representation in senior management positions, atypical in the industry STEM industries overall.

  Wellbeing

  Pi Comms prioritises staff wellbeing and utilise approaches across staff support, training and development, and fair work practices to demonstrate our commitment to wellbeing, its importance to the organisation, and to improve the physical and mental health, wellbeing, and work-life balance of our workforce.; We provide clear progression plans and pathways for all personnel and invest in continuous professional development for all. In additional to role-specific training, we additionally provide training related to wellbeing including, for example, in Managing Workplace Stress and Mental Health Awareness.; We implement flexible and family-friendly working practices including agreeing flexible working arrangements with personnel as needed and where possible to facilitate remote working, compressed hours, or phased retirement to support specific needs. Ensuring a strong sense of job security is critical to staff wellbeing, and we regularly engage with individuals to tailor and adjust their working terms to support changes in the personal lives. We adhere to ethical employment practices, making no use of zero hours contracts or ‘fire and rehire’ practices.; We provide fair pay to all staff. We pay competitive salaries and wages in line with the Living Wage rather than the minimum wage. Pi Comms subscribes to the principles of the EU Pay Transparency Directive (and we are committed to working to the requirements and spirit of any corresponding equivalent UK proposals or legislation). ; We additionally employ other staff benefit schemes such as our Employee Assistance Programme (which provides a 24/7 confidential advice line for all staff for any professional or personal issues they may be experiencing) and our Bike to Work Scheme.

Pricing

• Price: £21.90 a unit
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

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 ddouglas@picomms.tv. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.