CYBERLAB CONSULTING LTD

Managed Azure from Chess ICT

Our Managed Service supports Microsoft Azure, which provides compute, storage, backup, VMs, DR and associated public cloud services. With Azure you can rapidly deploying new applications and scaling on demand.

Features

• Microsoft Azure cloud procured and managed on your behalf
• Delivers Azure integration, Azure backup, Azure monitoring, disaster recovery
• Managed Azure support with a single point of contact
• Best-in-class advice, support and technology delivery
• Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP), Microsoft Partner

Benefits

• Access to all Microsoft Azure cloud services
• Reduce costs and only pay for Azure capacity you use
• Failure resilient infrastructure in multiple Azure regions
• Flexible, scalable, cost efficient
• Managed Azure support with a single point of contact

£0.02 a virtual machine an hour

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 ryan.bradbury@cyberlab.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

874563049855603

Contact

Ryan Bradbury
0333 050 8120
ryan.bradbury@cyberlab.co.uk

Service scope

• Service constraints: None
• System requirements: None

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support response times: As per Microsoft Azure support - https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/support/plans/
• 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: Chess provides a standard level which covers normal office hours (8.30-6pm, Monday to Friday, excluding bank holidays), with optional enhancements to extend cover (including bank holidays and weekend, and/or 24x7).
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We provide a managed onboarding service including training and user documentation.
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: HTML
• End-of-contract data extraction: Data can be copied off customer VMs using SFTP or equivalent prior to contract end. Data can be extracted from databases using SQLDump or equivalent and then transferred as per above.
• End-of-contract process: Service termination is defined as end of contract without transfer of services to a new provider or customer function. In this case, on Service termination Chess will close and delete any Azure accounts, access controls and resources; off-boarding of instances and data is the Customer’s responsibility and should be completed prior to termination. Chess can provide a managed migration path out from the tenant (working alongside your new provider or function). This would be created as a standalone project and incur standard rates and charges.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Using the web interface: Users can manage all aspects of the Azure service using the Azure management portal.
• Web interface accessibility standard: None or don’t know
• How the web interface is accessible: Accessibility of the Azure management portal is maintained by Microsoft.
• Web interface accessibility testing: Accessibility of the Azure management portal is maintained by Microsoft.
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: All aspects of the Azure service can be managed using the API.
• API automation tools:
  • Ansible
  • Chef
  • Terraform
  • Puppet
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: HTML
• Command line interface: Yes
• Command line interface compatibility:
  • Linux or Unix
  • Windows
  • MacOS
• Using the command line interface: All aspects of the Azure service can be managed using the Azure PowerShell CLI.

Scaling

• Scaling available: Yes
• Scaling type:
  • Automatic
  • Manual
• Independence of resources: Scaling is part of the Microsoft Azure platform and is managed by Microsoft. Azure hypervisor enforces memory and process separation between virtual machines.
• Usage notifications: Yes
• Usage reporting: Email

Analytics

• Infrastructure or application metrics: Yes
• Metrics types:
  • CPU
  • Disk
  • Memory
  • Network
  • Number of active instances
• Reporting types:
  • Regular reports
  • Reports on request

Resellers

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

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Security Clearance (SC)

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: 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
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type:
  • Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
  • Deleted data can’t be directly accessed
• 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:
  • Databases
  • Data
  • VMs
• Backup controls: Backup schedules are agreed during customer onboarding
• Datacentre setup: Multiple datacentres with disaster recovery
• Scheduling backups: Users schedule backups through a web interface
• Backup recovery: Users can recover backups themselves, for example through a web interface

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
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Legacy SSL and TLS (under version 1.2)
  • Other
• Other protection within supplier network: VLAN; VPCs

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: 99.99%
• Approach to resilience: Azure services are delivered from multiple datacentres worldwide. When deploying customer services to Azure, Chess will ensure that services span multiple regions (data centres) to ensure service resilience.
• Outage reporting: Email Alerts and Public Dashboard

Identity and authentication

• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google apps)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access to management interfaces and support channels is restricted through a combination of username and passwords, multifactor authentication, firewalls and IP restrictions
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least once a year
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Identity federation with existing provider (for example Google Apps)
  • Dedicated link (for example VPN)
  • Username or password
• Devices users manage the service through:
  • Dedicated device on a segregated network (providers own provision)
  • 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 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: 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: No

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: Other
• Other security governance standards: Cyber Essentials Plus
• Information security policies and processes: Our Information Security Policy is available on request (confidential). Chess follows the principles of ISO27001

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Chess process aligns with ITIL Change and Configuration Management for effective management and control of its infrastructure.
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: Chess subscribe to vendor support services to ensure we are operating in line with the latest recommendations and are made aware of any potential vulnerabilities. The patch deployment policy is ITIL aligned and undertaken in accordance with our alignment to the principles of ISO27001. For patching of Windows operating systems, we follow a patch cycle in line with Microsoft’s "Patch Tuesday”.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: A real-time analytics engine is used to correlate events, logs and performance metrics across your cloud and on-premise infrastructure. A comprehensive suite of rules allow alerts to be sent in response to malicious activity and performance-impacting events, all of which is included as standard in the service and part of the Microsoft Azure Platform.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: Incidents can be logged via phone, email or our portal. Our process is ITIL-aligned and ensures that we respond to any reported faults and sets out target resolution times to ensure that these are fixed within the agreed timeframes.

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: Microsoft Azure
• How shared infrastructure is kept separate: The Azure hypervisor enforces memory and process separation between virtual machines.

Energy efficiency

• Energy-efficient datacentres: Yes
• Description of energy efficient datacentres: See https://azure.microsoft.com/en-gb/global-infrastructure/

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

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

  Fighting climate change

  "We have an environmental statement and are working to improve our ESG governance generally. We formulated a plan to become net zero by 2030 which is available on our website.; What we are doing to reduce our emissions ; -Our People – we launched a WIKI within Teams containing advice on how to minimise your environmental impact. ; -Our Suppliers – 95% of our environmental impact comes from suppliers. We have reviewed our supplier onboarding process to score their environmental impact and are in discussion with Key suppliers so we understand what they are doing to limit Carbon emissions and how we can work with them to make this happen.; -Our Customers – our sales efforts focus on transitioning customers to cloud services and low energy products such as FTTP. These are more efficient and will reduce emissions over time.; 95% of our emissions are from our supply chain/customer usage of our products and we are working on our supplier strategy to fully understand their plans and as well as proactively transitioning our customers onto more environmentally responsible products and services (e.g. Broadband -> FTTP) to help them hit their targets. ; 5%- us We have moved to 96% home working, reduced our office footprint from 6 to 1 and have seen a substantial reduction in our emissions and utilities usage (reported annually). This equates to over 350 people no longer commuting. ; Our People come together if they need to at head office or in a network of small hubs, for example all teams meet at least once per quarter and some choose to more frequently. ; This cuts carbon emissions significantly as ; -over 350 people no longer need to commute every day, ; -over 90% of internal, supplier and customer meetings take place over Teams ; -We reduced our office footprint from 6 to 1.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Cyberlab have in place a robust and tested Business Continuity Plan, recovery for pandemics would be included within this BCP.

  Tackling economic inequality

  "Our UK sites sponsor twelve charities a year. One of the main philanthropic successes we have seen at Chess in recent years is the launch of our Engage platform. Successfully linking Culture and Charity by introducing a fun and quick way to provide companywide recognition and praise for all to see. All our people are encouraged to recognise when their colleagues have performed well by giving them ‘Praise’, The best thing about this – every time someone is praised, they get to donate £1 to one of the 12 Chess Charities. In 2023, we raised £9,000 through Praise recognition, which was part of the £45,000 total we donated.; When things happen in the world that we've not planned for, people will turn to their leaders to see how we will support them, recently, we sent medical and food supplies to the Romania – Ukraine border and donated to the Red Cross Ukraine Crisis Appeal.; Recent Regional and National Charity initiatives ; Bare Necessities; Bare Necessities is a toiletry bank based in South Manchester, founded by two friends, determined to do something to help local people have equal access to personal hygiene products. We have set up toiletry drop off points at each of the Chess hubs and will regularly be delivering these to be put into hygiene kits.; ; Mission Christmas Toys for Kids Appeal; Our people can gift £5 per month to go towards the Mission Christmas Toy Appeal that runs across the UK. ; ; Wrap Up Campaign; Wrap Up is a project run by various Rotary Clubs working in partnership across the UK to provide coats directly to people across the UK. Each Chess hub became a drop off point and our people donated over 50 of their old coats which were then circulated to the collection points across the UK."

  Equal opportunity

  "Our People have told us that they want to work flexibly and so the ability to work from different locations utilising all of the new technology we have embraced during the pandemic has become our new normal in terms of our working practices. This opens up an exciting opportunity to widen our recruitment activities to include groups of people who previously were not open to us because of the geographic and physical barriers that working in a fixed location bring. Removing these barriers and proactively searching out new ways to attract and recruit people from all areas of society will enable us to grow a much more diverse workforce with all of the cultural, social and financial benefits that this brings.; In Chess, we have always considered that we drive a culture that promotes inclusion and diversity. We have always celebrated all our people's successes, but complacency is dangerous and there is always more we can do. We pay close attention to what other organisations are doing, we listen to our people, and our goal is to drive hard in this area, providing the opportunity for all who wish to take it.; ; Economic – employment, training and work-experience opportunities; We support localisation in the delivery of services through:; ; a)Local employment; Chess can proactively look at ‘local’ employment, training and work-experience opportunities for individual where this is appropriate and deliverable. ; ; b) Apprenticeships; Graduate and Apprentice Schemes - We employ 5no apprentices across the business including IT and people support. ; ; c) Employability Training ; We offer young people employability training via interview practice, CV assistance and familiarisation with an office environment. We have previously offered work experience and apprenticeships to young people we have been introduced to via this scheme."

  Wellbeing

  "Communication and collaboration are vital to maintaining energy and focus at Chess, especially with most employees choosing to work from home.; ; Staff are encouraged to meet with their teams at one of the local hubs in a network spread across the UK. And there are two annual conferences to celebrate success and bring people together.; ; All teams have daily Teams 'huddles' to set the focus for the day and share any issues, as well as monthly 121s. Employees get monthly updates from the Chairman and Board of Directors to keep them up to speed on business performance, with daily 'need to knows' posted on internal channels. Additionally, the chairman hosts monthly lunches, allowing employees to express any concerns directly.; Working together in a positive environment; Every day, we encourage, motivate, and support each other to maintain a friendly positive atmosphere where everyone feels valued and cared for. Chess have created a culture that is inclusive and diverse where everyone is encouraged to bring innovative new ideas to the table and work together to achieve our organisational goals. It’s a place where hard work and success is rewarded. All our people set Goals and Responsibilities tied to our Blueprint which are reviewed regularly throughout the year, as well as a Personal Development Plan outlining their short and long term career objectives – both within and outside of Chess.; ; • We are advocates of diversity and inclusion, and our culture is open to everyone.; • Looking after our employees - Future Fit wellbeing - Chess ; • Early career apprenticeship and graduate programmes - national-apprenticeship-week-at-chess; -Passionate about encouraging and supporting women in tech, with above average industry standards for women in tech and females in leadership roles - International Women’s Day - Chess; -Flexible working options for every employee where possible "

Pricing

• Price: £0.02 a virtual machine an hour
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• 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 ryan.bradbury@cyberlab.co.uk. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.