Cloud and Data Centre Framework - FAQs

The Cloud and Data Centre Framework can:

• Support you in responding to your unique business challenges, whether that be through a hybrid, private, colocation or IaaS solution.
• Save you time and money procuring cloud infrastructure by filtering through hundreds of cloud suppliers on your behalf so there is no need for you to score the all tenders – it’s already been done for you
• Introduce you to suppliers specially selected for the research and education sector – to discuss your specific requirements
• Give you peace of mind as our Framework has been through the official EU procurement process – legal contracts are template ready for you to use

All the suppliers are capable of offering both co-location or cloud infrastructure (IaaS). Part of the procurement process ensured these requirements were mandatory.

 

The scope of this framework is anyone who has a Janet connection, apart from Business and Community Engagement (BCE) sites. You can find out more about this in the Contract Notice and Pre Qualifying Questionnaires (PQQ) documents on the 'Procurement Documents' web page.

 

There are other initiatives offering individual cloud items, however, this framework provides a package of services and due diligence. This is the first combined cloud and infrastructure as a service (IaaS) framework and it’s much needed by those on the Janet network. This will enable institutions to move from basic co-location through to managed virtual servers within one procurement and one contract.

 

When assessing suppliers we gave a significant weighting to charges when judging suppliers (30 per cent of the weighting). This means suppliers on the framework offer excellent value. Each individual solution will come with different costs and these are not pre-defined. The nature of the suppliers we have chosen should ensure that there is significant competition, which in turn will keep prices competitive.

 

Suppliers give Janet two percent of the goods and services you buy through the framework to cover the cost of creating and maintaining an excellent framework.  This is incorporated into the price you see during the mini-competition.

 

There are fairly strict procurement rules governing the way these are run.  Please get in touch with us to find out more by emailing brokerage@ja.net or calling 01235 822337.

 

We can advise you on the right questions to ask, provide advice and offer guidance so that you can make an informed decision, and understand the intricacies of both the procurement and the technology.  Because we are not the contracting authority and need to remain impartial, it is not possible to run your mini competition.

 

It's best to speak to ourselves (01235 822337) and your procurement professionals to look at your options.

 

How long does the framework and contract last?
The initial term of the framework is for four years from 7 February 2012 to 6 February 2016. We may include a possible extension for a further period of six years subject to an annual performance (including value for money) review.

 

We stated in the Contract Notice that “The framework is for greater than four years due to the investment in time and cost for suppliers including but not limited to the connection to the Janet network. By facilitating the potential for longer term arrangements with appropriate break clauses longer term partnerships can be fostered, which will be beneficial to both suppliers and customers and will enable return on investment for suppliers.”

 

The length of call-offs under framework agreements is not specifically limited by the regulations, although the Commission guidance referred to in paragraph 3.6 of the Contract Notice does state that call-offs, as well as frameworks themselves, should not last for more than four years. The length of call-offs, as with other contracts, should be appropriate to the purchases in question and should reflect value for money considerations. It may be the case that individual call-offs extend beyond the four-year term of the framework itself.

 

Please get in touch with us before you launch a competition so we can look at whether you need additional connectivity.  This can be added to the Janet connectivity section of the competition document and included within the pricing you require. It is not mandatory that the facilities or services you purchase use the Janet connection, though it will help minimise the cost of the overall solution and use economies of scale.

 

There are a number of networking scenarios and we recommend you talk to us so we can understand what you are doing and help you achieve it. For example, it is possible to move IPs and manage routing tables to enable this functionality but there are specific issues that may arise.  We would like to discuss these with you to make sure you know what is possible in your specific situation.

 

Please email brokerage@ja.net or call 01235 822337.