Agenda item

To award a contract for providing a Storage Area Network (SAN) refresh, for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027.

Approval was sought to award the contract and accept a tender for supplying a Storage Area Network (SAN), including professional services for implementation and migration from the current platform plus annual maintenance and support, for the period

1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027.

The contract was to be awarded following a compliant further competition and evaluation process under the NHS Shared Business Services, Digital Workplace Solutions Framework agreement.

The new contract would provide an accredited channel reseller to transition the current SAN and replace with new products and services.

The value of the new contract for the 5-year period was estimated to be around £900,000 based on market engagement.

Reasons for Decision

In accordance with the Council’s Procurement & Contract Procedure Rules (Rule 15) an exemption from any rule for a contract above £250,000 must be approved by Cabinet.

The current SAN was being provided by the manufacturer - NetApp – and some of the support offered had now reached the end of supported life. The last refresh was in 2014. The current support contract was also due to expire on 31 March 2022 and the Council would then have to continue with a new, best endeavours contract, due to the potential reduction in the availability of spare parts.

Alternative Options Considered

The alternative of a do-nothing approach was not feasible, as it would result in no software updates being available and potentially a lack of availability of spare parts, e.g. new discs or system boards in the event of failure. This would present both major cyber security and operational risks for the Council if data could not be accessed or was totally lost.

A cloud data storage approach was feasible but not within the timescale for needing to refresh the current on-premise SAN. The Council would continue a gradual migration to cloud services where this was the smart approach to take, e.g. value for money, functionality, etc. However, it was not easy to lift and shift data from on premise to a cloud service and sufficient time was necessary to ensure the data is cleansed and structured ready for migration.

As the COVID pandemic still presented a significant challenge for the Council, it would not be wise to radically change the way our workforce accessed its data and the strategic approach to buy a new SAN was a sound one both commercially and operationally. By the end of the 5-year SAN contract it was envisaged that the Council would have orientated towards a more cloud than on premise approach meaning we would then be able to reduce the need for a SAN of the size we need to purchase now.

Agreed:-

(1)   that the Director of Business Strategy and Change, along with the Director of Finance and Section 151 Officer, in consultation with the Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, be authorised to award a contract for providing a Storage Area Network (SAN) refresh, for the period 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2027, via a compliant further competition process under the NHS Shared Business Services, Digital Workplace Solutions Framework Agreement SBS/19/WAB/9411;

(2)   that the Director of Law and Governance and Monitoring Officer be authorised to execute any documentation necessary to enable (1) above;

(3)   that any necessary exemptions be made to the Council’s Procurement and Contract Procedure Rules to enable the course of action referred to in (1) above.