The document provides an introduction to Ireland's Government Cloud Computing Strategy (GCSC) Request for Tender. It outlines key dates for the tender process, with submissions due by July 31st, 2014. It describes the 35 service categories covered under the multi-year framework agreement and emphasizes that services must meet international standards for cloud delivery, security, data residency, and monitoring. Suppliers are advised to consider connectivity, management, and data hosting locations when responding to the tender.

2.  Introduction to Irish GCSC RFT
 Overview of the GCSC
 Key Dates
 Key Concepts
 Service Access Levels
 GCSC Service Categories (‘Lots’)
 Submissions
 Q & A

3.  The GCSC is not the same as UK G-Cloud
 It is the first major catalogue RFT (novel)
 New approach to service-based provision
 Use of GCSC – May be ‘Sanction Approved’!
 Except for specific large IOPS services
 Period of 2 years plus 2x12 month extensions
 No indication of refresh cycle

4.  RFT85441 Issued – 20 June 2014
 RFT85441 Updated – 30 June 2014
 www.etenders.gov.ie
 Submission Deadline – 31 July 2014
 20 Days Left
Key Dates
10 July 2014

5.  GCSC Focused on Cloud Computing Issues:
 How are services delivered (connections)?
 Security concerns
 Hosting & Data residency
 Monitoring & reporting
 Delivered to International standards
 No ‘Cloud-washing’
 Buyers guide & Cloud Store (TBA)

6.  Mandate from Cloud Computing Strategy
 Based on concept of:
 Commodity Cloud ‘services’
 Services not hardware
 List from catalogue with mini-competition
 Existing services not design & build
 Not an open publication

7.  Services fixed at point of tender
 Buyers can talk to suppliers
 To clarify not negotiate
 Services are in fixed units
 Prices, terms and services up front
 No need for individual RFTs
 But mini-competitions
 Reduced lock-in
 Potential Refresh

8.  ‘Multi-member’ Framework
 Use across the Public Service
 Wide catchment
 Framework broken up into 35 ‘Lots’
 Mini Competitions
 Guaranteed Maximum Price
 Update of Service Descriptions will be allowed
 Transparency
 Services available & Framework ‘Members’
 Pricing Information on separate platform
 Open publication on expenditure

9.  Can apply for more than one ‘Lot’
 But one overall response
 Group submissions allowed
 Electronic submissions only
 Through www.eTenders.gov.ie
 Submissions by 13:00 on 31 July 2014
 Do not underestimate complexity & time to complete
 Not as straightforward as UK G-Cloud
 Tax Clearance Certificate (downstream)
 Insurance & Liability

10.  Economic & Financial Standing
 Not applicable
 Technical & Professional Ability
 Standards
 Experience & Proven Track Record

11. Criteria
 Multi-tenancy
 Transition
 Data Management
 Configuration Management
 Usage & Billing Management
Marks
- 100
- 100
- 100
- 90
- 60
Min
- 50
- 50
- 50
- 45
- 30

12. Connection type
Is the service being delivered on a direct connection to
Government Networks [on the appropriate VLAN] , over a
private peer or raw internet connection.
Management
Is management of the service being provided over a direct
connection to Government Networks [on the appropriate
VLAN], via the service provider’s own network or over the
internet.
Location/Data Residency
Is the service being “hosted” in a Government owned
data centre or in a commercial hosting facility.

13. Government Networks Centric
Services
Interagency
Own Agency
Hosting
Multi Media
Managed Access
Internet
Remote Access
Non Staff

14. Service Access Level 1
Service
Management
Government
Networks
Government
Data Centre
User

15. Service Access Level 2
Service
Management
Government
Networks
User
Commercial
Hosting
Provider

16. Service Access Level 3
Service
Provider
Government
Networks
User
Internet
Commercial
Hosting Provider

17. Service Access Level 4(a)
Service
Provider
Government
Networks
User
Internet
Peer AS Traffic
Only
Commercial
Hosting Provider

18. Service Access Level 4(b)
Service
Provider
Government
Networks
User
Internet
Commercial
Hosting Provider

19. •Primary and Backup data in a Government data centre
•Primary data in a government data centre and backup in a commercial
hosting facility in Ireland
•Primary data in a commercial hosting facility in Ireland with backup in a
European commercial hosting facility
•Primary data in a commercial facility in Europe and backup in a commercial
hosting facility anywhere in the world
•Primary and backup data in a commercial facility anywhere in the world.
Think About

20.  Connectivity
 Service Delivery Locations
 Connectivity for Management
 Third Party Service Level Agreements

21.  Description of Service
 Service Access Level
 Data Residency
 Service Performance Commitment
 Service Level Agreement & Service Credits
 Standards
 Technical Support
 Account, Service and Fault Management and Reporting Requirements
 Multi-tenancy
 Transition
 Data Management
 Configuration Management
 Usage & Billing Management
 Management Information
 Customer Requirements
 Development Plans
 Training
 Pricing

22. To ensure that sensitive assets aren’t being exposed to unauthorised access, it
will be essential that the various service offerings can satisfy the following
scrutiny...
•Governance - The ability to be able to identify, track, and control where
instances containing sensitive assets reside at any given time. The ability to be
able to track each virtual machine’s replication and to monitor each event
associated with these instances.
•Compliance - The ability to be able to track access to sensitive data, enforce
proper access controls, and present a trusted audit trail that can provide
complete details on all access events.
•Protection - The ability that in the event of some risk being detected,
administrators need to be able to apply effective security measures in order to
mitigate and minimize the exposure.
•Audit - commitment to regular ‘non-scheduled’ on-site facility audits.

23. To ensure that each service is delivered to the highest standards
of security, scalability and reliability, it is essential that the right
mix of technologies, personnel and processes are used by both
the individual application service provider and the hosting facility
that is being used to deliver the service.
Examples of such recognized standards would be ISO27001 &
SSAE-16.

24. An essential component of each business application will be the provision
of a 24/7 monitoring capability of the service which includes....
•Live System Performance - application, databases etc.
•Automatic notification of critical issues before they impact service
delivery.
•The ability to automatically route alerts to different groups.
•Periodic reporting on alerts, key performance metrics, and SLA statistics.
'The management portals of each business application should be
accessible from a range of different client platforms.’

25. If you are not in
–
you can’t win!
The GCSC

26. Thank You
&
Questions?
bill.mccluggage@laganview.com
twitter.com/billmccluggage
uk.linkedin.com/in/billmccluggage
+44 7717732533