Computacenter (UK) Ltd

Computacenter - IBM MQ on Cloud - reliable, resilient and efficient messaging for applications

IBM MQ on Cloud provides a messaging transport and delivery service for applications. It is the gold standard for enterprise messaging, providing security-rich and reliable messaging across multiple clouds. You connect applications to it, and then easily send and receive messages in real time. Messaging paradigms include point-to-point and publish-subscribe.

Features

• Application to application real-time messaging
• Assured once and once-only message delivery
• Assured "never lose a message"
• Asynchronous message processing and transfer
• Transactional message processing
• End-to-end message encryption and signing
• Point-to-point and publish-subscribe paradigms
• File Transfer
• Very wide range of APIs and language Service benefits

Benefits

• Transfer data in real-time between applications running anywhere
• Assure end-to-end security for sensitive data
• Ensure transactional processing across multiple applications
• Optimise business processes through asynchronous processing
• Provision the service within a handful of minutes

£0.73 a unit an hour

• Education pricing available
• Free trial 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 government@computacenter.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

965445166373321

Contact

Karen Baldock
+44 (0) 1707 631000
government@computacenter.com

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: N/A
• System requirements:
  • Web Browser connection for administration
  • Internet connection for runtime message and file transfer

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: 24 x 7 access to the IBM Cloud technical support team through cases (online), telephone, and instant messaging chat. Response times (on all days) is based on the issue Severity that you assign; see "Support Levels" later for details.
• 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: IBM Cloud includes the following major accessibility features: - Keyboard-only operation. - Operations that use a screen reader. IBM Cloud uses the latest W3C Standard, WAI-ARIA 1.0 to ensure compliance to US Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. To take advantage of accessibility features, use the latest release of your screen reader in combination with the latest Internet Explorer web browser that is supported by this product. The IBM Cloud online product documentation and the IBM Cloud user interface framework is enabled for accessibility.
• Web chat accessibility testing: Please refer to the IBM Accessibility Checklist at https://www.ibm.com/able/guidelines/ci162/accessibility_checklist.html
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: IBM provides three levels of support : Basic, Advanced and Premium. Basic does not specify response objectives. Advanced and Premium specify the following objectives for initial response times: ||| Severity 1 (critical business impact or service down) : Advanced = 1 hour, Premium = 15 minutes ||| Severity 2 (significant business impact) : Advanced = 2 hours, Premium = 1 hour ||| Severity 3 (minor business impact : Advanced = 4 hours, Premium = 2 hours ||| Severity 4 (query, or minimal business impact) : Advanced = 8 hours, Premium = 4 hours ||| ||| Premium also includes an assigned Technical Account Manager, and quarterly business reviews.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: IBM can engage with your users in a number of different ways: A free pre-sales engagement can be held with you before purchase, to help you understand the product and map out use cases. This is useful for product demonstrations and technical exploration. We have a number of Proofs of Technology and Proofs of Concept available, to help you explore. After purchase, IBM can offer a service engagement. These is a paid service, offered on a Time and Materials basis, that aims to help you plan and set up your software, both for the initial configuration and for the long-term. After purchase, as part of the support contract, IBM provides a wealth of FAQ and how-to articles at no extra charge. IBM also provides web chat and forums, thus enabling your users to engage with technical support at no extra charge
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats:
  • HTML
  • PDF
• End-of-contract data extraction: Typically, as a messaging transport service, all user data is transient and no user data is stored within the IBM service. This means that typically there is no need for users to extract their data when the contract ends. Having said that: at any time, users can extract all message data if there is any (take them off queues) and users can extract and export the configuration of all the Queue Managers and all the artefacts inside them.
• End-of-contract process: At the end of the contract, your Queue Managers, all their artefacts and any remaining message data will be securely and permanently deleted. This is provided as part of the service, at no extra charge

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
• Application to install: No
• Designed for use on mobile devices: No
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: The service interface for administration allows you to create and manage Queue Managers, to create and manage artefacts within Queue Managers, and to manage application and user access. This can be done using web browser (IBM Web Console), installed client (MQ Explorer), programmatically (REST API) or Command Line (runmqsc). ||| The service interface for runtime access allows an application to put and get messages to and from queues, and to publish and subscribe to topics. This can be done using MQ Client protocol and REST APIs.
• Accessibility standards: None or don’t know
• Description of accessibility: IBM Cloud includes the following major accessibility features: - Keyboard-only operation. - Operations that use a screen reader. IBM Cloud uses the latest W3C Standard, WAI-ARIA 1.0 to ensure compliance to US Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0. To take advantage of accessibility features, use the latest release of your screen reader in combination with the latest Internet Explorer web browser that is supported by this product. The IBM Cloud online product documentation and the IBM Cloud user interface framework is enabled for accessibility.
• Accessibility testing: Please refer to the IBM Accessibility Checklist at https://www.ibm.com/able/guidelines/ci162/accessibility_checklist.html
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: The management REST API interface does not allow you to set up the service, manage the service itself, manage users or create Queue Managers. However you can use the management REST API interface to create and manage artefacts within all Queue Managers. For more details, see https://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSFKSJ_9.1.0/com.ibm.mq.adm.doc/q127590_.htm
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: Open API (also known as Swagger)
• API sandbox or test environment: Yes
• Customisation available: No

Scaling

• Independence of resources: The architecture of IBM cloud services maintains logical separation of client data. Internal rules and measures separate data processing, such as inserting, modifying, deleting, and transferring data, according to the contracted purposes. In addition, the use of dynamic and responsive scaling techniques provided by Kubernetes means that IBM can scale the service up (and down) to cater for the demand from all users of the service without affecting individual users.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: All of the following are available as part of the Web Console administration provided by the service. System metrics, including CPU usage, disk usage, bytes of message stored. Queue Manager metrics, including number of accesses to queues, PUTs and GETs to queues, rates of message transmission. In addition, for experienced IBM MQ users, standard analysis tools can be used to access data and analyse metrics.
• Reporting types:
  • API access
  • Real-time dashboards

Resellers

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

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Other security clearance
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations:
  • United Kingdom
  • European Economic Area (EEA)
  • Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Complies with a recognised standard (for example CSA CCM version 3.0)
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest:
  • Physical access control, complying with CSA CCM v3.0
  • Physical access control, complying with SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
  • Physical access control, complying with another standard
  • Encryption of all physical media
  • Scale, obfuscating techniques, or data storage sharding
  • Other
• Other data at rest protection approach: MQ has encryption routines used before writing to queues
• Data sanitisation process: Yes
• Data sanitisation type: Explicit overwriting of storage before reallocation
• Equipment disposal approach: Complying with a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v.30, CAS (Sanitisation) or ISO/IEC 27001

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Typically, as a messaging transport service, all user data is transient and no user data is stored within the IBM service. This means that typically there is no need for users to export any data. Having said that: at any time, users can extract all message data if there is any (take them off queues) and users can extract and export the configuration of all the Queue Managers and all the artefacts inside them. They do this using standard MQ techniques to GET messages, and standard MQ techniques to dump configurations.
• Data export formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF
• Data import formats:
  • CSV
  • ODF

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway
  • Other
• Other protection between networks: All connections to the service are made using HTTPS (using TLS V1.2 and above) - this ensures encryption of all message data as well as of all administration traffic. In addition, the use of Advanced Message Security can provide end-to-end message encryption and signing - this ensures that not only are message encrypted but also only the target recipients can receive messages.
• Data protection within supplier network:
  • TLS (version 1.2 or above)
  • IPsec or TLS VPN gateway

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: The detailed IBM availability Service Level Agreement (“SLA”) for the Cloud Service is available here : https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/overview?topic=overview-zero-downtime#SLAs . The SLA is not a warranty. The SLA applies only to use in production environments. There is compensation available for dropping under a certain availability during a contracted month, as follows: ||| If the service is under 99.5% available during a single contracted month you are entitled to claim 10% of the cost of the service as compensation. ||| If the service is under 99.0% available during a single contracted month you are entitled to claim 24% of the cost of the service as compensation
• Approach to resilience: Available on request
• Outage reporting: Email alerts are provided. Notifications of current overall status and of planned maintenance are posted on the main dashboard. More detailed dashboards are provided to provide details of all current status.

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access to the service for management and support is provided by userid-and-password privileged administration accounts, over which you have control. IBM MQ techniques can be used to fine-tune access for administration accounts - for example allowing them to access the properties of artefacts (eg message queues) but not to access the message data.
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • Public key authentication (including by TLS client certificate)
  • 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: Between 1 month and 6 months
• Access to supplier activity audit information: Users contact the support team to get audit information
• How long supplier audit data is stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months
• How long system logs are stored for: Between 1 month and 6 months

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: Yes
• Who accredited the ISO/IEC 27001: BSI
• ISO/IEC 27001 accreditation date: 28/04/2022
• What the ISO/IEC 27001 doesn’t cover: Our ISO/IEC 27001 certification relates to the information security management system and not the products or services of the certified organisation.
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: Yes
• Who accredited the PCI DSS certification: Gemserv Ltd
• PCI DSS accreditation date: 22/09/2021
• What the PCI DSS doesn’t cover: As per section 2a of the PCI-DSS certificate, there are no areas that were marked as ‘Not Included’. We therefore confirm we are compliant across all relevant requirements for our services as a Hosting Provider, Managed Services and Payment Processing.
• 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: ISO/IEC 27001
• Information security policies and processes: IBM has an Information Technology (IT) Security policy that establishes the requirements for the protection of IBM's worldwide IT systems and the information assets they contain, including networks and computing devices such as servers, workstations, host computers, application programs, web services, and telephone systems within the IBM infrastructure. IBM’s IT Security policy is supplemented by standards and guidelines, such as the Security Standards for IBM's Infrastructure, the Security and Use Standards for IBM Employees and the Security Guidelines for Outsourced Business Services. Such are reviewed by a cross-company team led by the IT Risk organization every six months. IBM has a dedicated Vice President of IT Security who leads a team responsible for IBM's own enterprise data security standards and practices. Responsibility and accountability for executing internal security programs is established through formal documented policies. IBM Services teams also have dedicated executives and teams who are responsible for information and physical security in the delivery of our client services.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Configuration and change management approach: IBM maintains policies and procedures to manage risks associated with the application of changes to its Cloud Services. Prior to implementation, all changes to a Cloud Service, including its systems, networks and underlying components, will be documented in a registered change request that includes a description and reason for the change, implementation details and schedule, a risk statement addressing impact to the Cloud Service and its clients, expected outcome, rollback plan, and documented approval by IBM management or its authorized delegate.
• Vulnerability management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Vulnerability management approach: With each Cloud Service, as applicable and commercially reasonable, IBM will a) perform penetration testing and vulnerability assessments before production release and routinely thereafter, b) enlist a qualified and reputable independent third-party to perform penetration testing and ethical hacking at least annually, c) perform automated management and routine verification of underlying components’ compliance with security configuration requirements, and d) remediate any identified vulnerability or noncompliance with its security configuration requirements based on associated risk, exploitability, and impact. IBM takes reasonable care to avoid Cloud Service disruption when performing its tests, assessments, scans, and execution of remediation activities
• Protective monitoring type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example CSA CCM v3.0 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Protective monitoring approach: IBM maintains and follows policies requiring administrative access and activity in its Cloud Services’ computing environments to be logged and monitored, and the logs to be archived and retained in compliance with IBM’s worldwide records management plan. IBM monitors privileged account use and maintain security information and event management policies and measures designed to a) identify unauthorized administrative access and activity, b) facilitate a timely and appropriate response, and c) enable internal and independent third party audits of compliance with such policies. IBM systematically monitors the health and availability of production Cloud Service systems and infrastructure at all times.
• Incident management type: Conforms to a recognised standard, for example, CSA CCM v3.0 or ISO/IEC 27035:2011 or SSAE-16 / ISAE 3402
• Incident management approach: IBM: -maintains and follows incident response policies aligned with NIST guidelines for computer security incident handling, and will comply with data breach notification requirements under applicable law. -investigates security incidents, including unauthorised access or use of content or the Cloud Service, of which IBM becomes aware, and, if warranted, define and execute an appropriate response plan. -promptly notifies Client upon determining that a security incident known or reasonably suspected by IBM to affect Client has occurred. -provides Client with reasonably requested information about such security incident and status of applicable remediation and restoration activities performed or directed by IBM.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

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

  Computacenter ensures that our business practices deliver effective stewardship of the environment in line with the Social Value Model. Computacenter's science-based emissions reductions targets are approved with the SBTi. Our Net Zero Journey Group Emissions is now just 16% of 2015 levels as outlined in our carbon reduction plan to achieve ‘Net Zero’ carbon emissions by 2040.; ; Business travel is necessary, both for our customer requirements and for our staff. We have materially reduced business travel, ensuring all business trips are necessary, helping reduce carbon emissions. We are investing in technology to allow greater use of existing communication platforms as part of our ‘hybrid working’ strategy. One of the key benefits we believe this will help us realise is reducing emissions from business travel by 35 per cent by 2025 (compared to 2019). For G-Cloud services this means that we will drive the use of virtual, technology-enabled meetings as much as possible for all internal and external sessions, including those with our wider supply chain.; ; Further to this we can provide customer advisory services which include guidance and recommendations on how to improve their sustainability performance to help inform customer decision making whilst achieving the desired commercial and technical outcomes through the services being provided.; ; Computacenter has introduced incentives to encourage the replacement of the existing Fleet with Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. We have 44 electric charging points across 2 of our locations to encourage the adoption of electric and hybrid vehicles, either through our company car scheme or privately. For this framework specifically, this means that our consultants, project managers and engineering resource will have access to a ULEV vehicle via our company car scheme and the ability to charge a vehicle at Computacenter office locations.

  Covid-19 recovery

  Throughout the pandemic we have closely followed and implemented government guidance relating to the workplace and COVID-19. We created a COVID-19 risk assessment to enable us to understand the improvements that need to be made to our workplace conditions in line with the Government COVID-19 secure workplace guidelines and the business advice that is now current. It looks at the risks of COVID-19 in the workplace, such as hygiene, & cleaning and then states what we must put in place to mitigate these risks.; ; As we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic, we have introduced hybrid working for our employees. This will allow most employees including those delivering G-Cloud services increased flexibility in how and where they work ensuring that we still deliver the best service to our customers whilst looking after our people.; ; Our COVID-19 steering committee is there to identify activities that will improve workplace conditions then plan, build and regularly monitor various programmes focused on supporting the COVID-19 recovery effort. At these meetings, chaired by our Chief People Officer (‘CPO’) Sarah Long, our CIO John Gibbs and Services operations, the steering committee discuss changes that need to be implemented, identify areas of improvement, and review our roadmap of new activities.; Throughout the life of the contract, we will use our existing activities (as well as those that are in development in due course) to continue to improve workplace conditions in support of the COVID-19 recovery effort.; ; Questions relating to travel were included in the COVID-19 surveys that were issued through the pandemic. The assessment highlighted concerns people had about public transport. To help all employees; managers were coached and given guidance about being flexible with start/finish times. We continue to adapt our approach based on feedback received through the steering committee and employee surveys.

  Tackling economic inequality

  As a diverse and inclusive organisation with a strong focus on equality and driving in-work progression, our approach to recruitment and employment is aligned to recognised industry best practices such as the 5 principles of quality work as set out in the Good Work Plan.; ; Our Employee Impact Groups for disadvantaged or minority groups provide representation, support, and community engagement, feeding into our People Panel ensuring all voices are heard, underpinning our wider ambition of building a sustainable business for the long term.; ; We put specific measures in place to provide opportunities to under-represented groups or those who face barriers to employment, including comprehensive outreach programmes for schools and universities, as well as partnerships with non-profit organisations within our communities. We continue focus on reaching harder to reach groups and people who are underrepresented in our sector by working with charities and schools in the local community to offer career talks and work experience opportunities. Our school outreach programme has over 130 volunteers dedicating over 2,600 hours running activities for employability and life skills in schools, colleges, and universities.; ; Computacenter is one of the 9 founding members of ‘Technology Community for Racial Equality’ (‘TC4RE’), a group set up to drive racial equality throughout the technology industry, with which we are delivering a half-day virtual event on ‘Enabling Ethnic Diversity’ featuring a series of expert keynotes, live panel discussions and interactive workshops with representation from across the UK technology community.; ; Furthermore, Computacenter are a silver level partner in the Armed Forces Covenant and has introduced a programme that provides the opportunity to attain a degree and ServiceNow certification whilst receiving full salary for armed forces leavers. This programme is the first of many programmes we intend on running to help ex-forces personal transition back into the workplace and the IT industry.

  Equal opportunity

  Computacenter is committed to providing equal opportunities to all through fair recruitment practices and employment conditions across our organisation.; We are a Disability Confident ‘Committed’ employer, committed to making lasting changes to our business creating a diverse talent pool. We work with partners through our community outreach, who are specialists in disability. An example is our work with Knightsfield School in Welwyn Garden City, a specialist school for deaf children. We run at least 3 ‘get work ready’ events with them, as well as offer up to 4 work experience opportunities and onsite visits every year.; ; For this contract, we will use existing initiatives (as well as others that are in development) to provide career opportunities for individuals from under-represented groups to address requirements for specific skills or roles with a focus on increasing skillsets through the life of the contract. This will include apprenticeships aligned to security and cloud/infrastructure departments, as well as industrial placements and graduate schemes for our ServiceNow Centre of Excellence, with specific focus on delivering cloud-based services to our customers.; ; Our workforce for services delivered under this framework will have access to existing initiatives aimed at supporting in-work progression and development for those from disadvantaged/minority groups. For example, our gender diversity initiatives include our Growing Together programme, which over 150 women have been through so far, of which over one-third have been promoted or taken a new role within a year following the mentoring and coaching provided.; ; We are also committed to driving racial equality across our business and the wider technology industry. We are a founding member of ‘Technology Community for Racial Equality’ which recently delivered a half-day virtual event on ‘Enabling Ethnic Diversity’ featuring a series of expert keynotes, live panel discussions and interactive workshops with representation from across the UK technology community.

  Wellbeing

  We understand how important employee Wellbeing is for a sustainable business model, therefore we are committed to creating a sustainable supply chain. Ensuring the wellbeing of our employees are looked after will positively affect productivity, recruitment, and retention rates.; ; In November 2021, a designated UK wellbeing manager was appointed and has since launched our wellbeing strategy, which aligns with the Social Value Model and the 6 standards of the Mental Health at Work Commitment, signed in July 2021. We are actively implementing the enhanced mental health standards as recommended through the ‘Thriving at Work’ review, and NICE mental health at work guidelines, as part of our Wellbeing strategy. The strategy encompasses four pillars of wellbeing, mental, physical, financial, and social. We are a Menopause friendly organisation and have created a support network for those in need.; ; We have 109 Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) accredited staff in the UK, trained by Mind, who act as Wellbeing Champions providing mental health first aid support and promoting our wellbeing services which those delivering G-Cloud service provisions will have access to. These champions are from every business area and from different seniority. We hold events throughout the year organised by our UK wellbeing manager and Champions, which have included celebrating World Mental Health days, Menopause awareness, financial wellbeing webinars and sponsored events to raise money for our mental health charity partners.; ; 2021 also saw the launch of our new groupwide app-based programme ‘Be Well’ which gives our people access to over 3,000 fitness, nutrition, health and wellbeing courses through Humanoo. Through this app we have launched an extremely popular groupwide step challenge and has encouraged our people to be more active, with over 35% of our workforce now using the app and covering over 1.8bn steps so far.

Pricing

• Price: £0.73 a unit an hour
• Discount for educational organisations: Yes
• Free trial available: Yes
• Description of free trial: The (free) Trial MQ on Cloud Service provides all of the chargeable features. It is restricted to 2 Queue Managers, and 1,000 messages per month per Queue Manager. The Trial Service is deleted if there has been no activity within the past 30 days, otherwise it will continue indefinitely.
• Link to free trial: https://cloud.ibm.com/catalog/services/mq

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