The ECHO2 Programme: Network Integration Services Procurement

The contracting authority has selected a single supplier who can make available the following services under the framework agreement as included below.

1. Implementation services — the requirements for the implementation of the supplier's solution.
2. Operational Services.

(a) Elective services: the requirements that the supplier shall provide across the customer ICT environment(s) as part of its technical solution and which shall be available for consumption by the customer via optional call offs within the call-off contract.

(i) Network platform — providing the customer with a resilient network traffic management capability using next generation networking technologies.

(ii) Global connectivity services — multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) connectivity, providing the customer with the ability to route network traffic over MPLS links from overseas sites to the UK and between overseas sites with guaranteed capacity and performance levels. Very small aperture terminal for sites where the provision of other forms of connectivity are not available or a backup connection is required.

(iii) Secure internet gateway — providing the customer with outbound access to enable end users to securely consume services hosted on the internet.

(iv) Software defined perimeter — providing the customer with secure remote connectivity enabling access to its data and applications through a network security framework that dynamically creates one-to-one network connections between each user and the resources that they access.

(v) Next generation firewall — providing the customer with next generation firewall technologies, enhancing and complementing the traditional stateful inspection firewall with other network device filtering functions, such as but not limited to, in-line deep packet inspection, intrusion prevention system and application awareness.

(vi) Encryption devices — providing the customer with encryption services for Official tier data in transit.

(b) Service management: the ongoing service management requirements to support the technical solution, which form part of the services that the supplier shall provide, including obligations in respect of the supplier’s service desk, incident resolution, change management, configuration management, release processes and reporting.

3. Optional services — services such as session border control service may be called off by a customer through a call-off contract.

(a) Session border controllers — support public switched telephone network and cloud unified communications integration to the customer's voice over IP platforms, migrating from legacy in country PSTN solutions.

(b) ITSM Toolset technical integration: technical integration of the Supplier's ITSM toolset with the ITSM toolsets of the customers' for selected support activities. The successful supplier will be required to complete transition and cutover to new arrangements prior to the expiry of the existing contract.

II) Common services and collaborative call-off contracts

The partners intend to work closely together in relation to the services provided under the call-off contracts. There are a number of requirements which the partners anticipates will need to be built in common across all call-off contracts