The Crown Hosting Data Centres framework is available to all central government departments, arm’s length bodies and the wider public sector.

Email crownhosting@crowncommercial.gov.uk to talk about your datacentre hosting needs.

Digital Marketplace overview

The Digital Marketplace helps you find cloud technology and specialist services for digital projects.

It uses 3 frameworks (agreements between government and suppliers). You can find:

• digital outcomes, digital specialists and user research services through the Digital Outcomes and Specialists framework
• cloud services (for example, cloud hosting, software and support) through the G-Cloud framework
• physical data centre space through the Crown Hosting framework

All public sector organisations, including agencies and arm’s length bodies, can use the Digital Marketplace.

The Crown Hosting framework

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Features

Crown Hosting offers:

• mission-critical data centre space, either as
  • dedicated data halls, including whole buildings, or
  • racks in data halls shared with other Crown Hosting customers
• a choice of locations and multiple data centres per location
• migration services to assist with your relocation
• network connectivity to enable your use of the data centres
• a secure environment for transition to thepublic cloud
• a flexible, ‘pay-for-what-you-use’pay-for-what-you-use model with
  • benchmarked and index capped pricing
  • low cost and sustainably sourced electricity 
• power uptime availability that exceeds Tier III
• leading environmental performance

Benefits

The framework offers:

• easy access to co-located, secure data centres with no minimum volume commitment
• cost savings for rent and electricity (because government demand for data centre space is aggregated)
• time savings (because there’s no need to manage multiple supplier tenders)
• simple, transparent ‘pay-for-what-you-use’ pricing so usage can be scaled as required
• Value for Money ancillary services that every customer needs, such as:
  • on site help (people) so you don’t have to send staff
  • network connectivity
  • migration services
• choice of duration commitments that can be ended early without charge
• financial volume rebates linked to the aggregate consumption
• robust performance service-level agreements, including power uptime
• strong step-in rights for government to ensure continuity of service if required
• a centralised Framework Authority responsible for
  • ensuring the prices charged continue to be Value for Money
  • assurance that the facilities adhere to the requirements
  • service, performance and security management of the supplier
• as a minimum monthly reporting on usage including, for example:
  • electricity usage
  • carbon usage (for emissions reporting)
  • water usage (for sustainability reporting)
• an expandable set of services customisable by customers

Security

The datadatacentres centres are:

• assured centrally by the CentreCrown forHosting Framework Authority, assisted by specialist support from the ProtectionCabinet ofOffice, National InfrastructureProtective (CPNI)Security Authority (NPSA) and National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to OFFICIAL
• capable of delivering services with increased security levels
• compliant with Security Policy Framework 2014, which covers mandatory policies for:
  • protective marking
  • personnel security
  • physical security
  • information security
• compliant with the ISO 27001 standard for security management

Connectivity

The data centres havebenefit robustfrom multiple(?)multiple connections resilient tofibre the:optic paths and telecommunication suppliers. All public sector network connectivity can be achieved, including for example:

• Publicinternet
• cloud Serviceson-ramp Network(e.g. (PSN)AWS Direct Connect, Azure ExpressRoute, Google Cloud Interconnect)
• NHSoptical Networkservices (N3)between data centres and or your locations
• Secretpublic LANsector Interconnectprivate (SLI) networks (e.g. MODNET)
• Restrictedpublic LANsector Interconnectcommunity (RLI) networks (e.g. PSN, PSNfP)
• internethealth sector networks (e.g. HSCN)

Service-level agreements

The service contract covers:

• power uptime
• power outages
• environmental performance
• incident management
• change management
• capacity management
• backup and disaster recovery through multiple data centre campuses

Specific government requirements (for example, those relating to latency or service levels) can be agreed with the supplier and framework authority.

Quality and environmental standards

All data centres are compliant with industry standards, including:

• ISO 9001 standard for quality management
• ISO 14001 standard for environmental management
• EU Code of Conduct, which is aligned with industry-recognised energy efficiency practices
• ISO 27001, 22301, HMG ITHC and Cyber Essentials Plus
• ISO 50001
• Investors in People Platinum

Further information

Contact the Crown Hosting team if you want to learn more about the framework.

Crown Hosting

crownhosting@crowncommercial.gov.uk

If you’d like to buy technology services from another framework you can:

• find a framework on the CCS website
• email Crown Commercial Service for help and advice

Crown Commercial Service

cloud_digital@crowncommercial.gov.uk