Belfast City Council

 

Report to:                  Strategic Policy and Resources Committee

 

Subject:                      To seek Committee approval to use the NIRAN Public sector framework agreement for the renewal of the Council’s Internet Service Provision.

 

Date:                           20 November 2009

 

Reporting Officer:    Rose Crozier, Head of ISB, ext 4200

 

Contact Officer:        Paul Gribben, IS Portfolio Manager, ext 4237

 

Background

The current contract for internet service provision is due to be renewed.

 

This service provides access to:

1.      The internet from all PCs on the council’s network,

2.      External Email services,

3.      Council hosted websites to public users of the internet e.g. www.belfastcity.gov.uk

4.      Remote IT services e.g. access to council’s network for home working.

 

The current cost of internet service provision is  £20,000 per year and is paid out of revenue.

 

A new public sector framework agreement has been established by Queens University for the provision of internet services in the region. The Northern Ireland Regional Area Network (NIRAN) was developed as a broadband computer network for the tertiary education and public sector in Northern Ireland. 

 

The NIRAN network delivers high-speed internet access to some thirty education and public sector institutions across the region.  Whilst its core membership lies in higher and further education, NIRAN can also provide internet connectivity to a broader range of customer including libraries, local authorities, and lifelong learning organisations. 

 

NIRAN provides cost effective high speed internet access which compares favourably to larger internet service providers.

 

 

 

 

Key Issues

The bandwidth of the current internet service provider (ISP) is 10Mbits. This is a single circuit coming in to ISB at the Gloucester Street premises.

 

The service from NIRAN provides a 100Mbits service offering 10 times the capacity of the current service.

 

As report to Strategic Policy and Resources Committee on 23rd May 2008 set out the benefits of having a 2nd connection to the internet (called a point of presence or POP) based at the 2nd server site at the Duncrue complex. The main reason for having a 2nd internet connection at Duncrue is to have a contingency for external access to the internet (and thus backup web page and email services) in the instance of the Gloucester St site being lost for any reason.

 

The low cost of the NIRAN offering will allow ISB to implement the 2nd point of presence, improving resilience and increasing capacity and performance for the same annual cost as the current arrangement which only provides for a single circuit.

 

There will be a requirement to implement additional security equipment in the form of a firewall to secure the 2nd POP at Duncrue. A firewall is a part of a computer system or network that is designed to block unauthorised access while permitting authorised communications. The cost of implementing a second firewall will have an initial cost of £20,000 with an annual support cost of  £2,000.

 

Given that a public sector framework is already in place the Council will not have to go to public tender. This has been verified by the Council’s Procurement Manager.

 

Resource Implications

 

Financial Issues

 

2 x internet circuits (Contracted for 3years)

 

Installation Costs:                          £10,000

Annual Rental:                               £19,000

 

Firewall to secure 2nd POP:           £20,000

Annual support and maintenance: £2,000

 

Total initial cost to be funded from revenue        £30,000

Total Annual cost to be funded from revenue     £21,000

 

 

Human Resources

 

None

 

Asset and Other Implications

 

None

 

Recommendations

It is recommended that the Council procures 2 circuits for internet service provision off the NIRAN framework to enable a second POP to be implemented at Duncrue and to increase internet bandwidth from 10Mbits to 100Mbits.

 

It is also recommended that a firewall is procured to provide security at the second site.

 

Decision Tracking

 

Officer responsible:  Rose Crozier, Head of ISB

 

Action to be completed by: February 2010

 

Documents Attached

 

Key to Abbreviations

 

ISB  Information Services Belfast

NIRAN  Northern Ireland Regional Area Network

ISP  Internet Service Provider

POP  Point of Presence

 

Documents Attached

None

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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