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Telecommunications – IP Telephony Services
CONTENTS
1. CONTEXT 3
1.1. Background 3
1.2. Purpose 3
1.3. Scope and application 3
1.4. Policy context 3
1.5. The ICT Services Catalogue 4
2. KEY PRINCIPLES 4
3. REQUIREMENTS 5
3.1. IP Telephony Services 5
3.2. Call Centre Services 5
3.3. Requirements table 5
3.6 . Elements of this standard 7
3.6.1 IP Telephony and Video Services 7
3.6.2 Call Centre Services 8
3.6.3 Service Management requirements 8
DOCUMENT CONTROL 10
APPENDIX A – DEFINITIONS 11
APPENDIX B – ABBREVIATIONS 12
APPENDIX C – REFERENCES 13
APPENDIX D – STANDARDS 14
Developing technical standards 14
Management and implementation 14
1. CONTEXT
1.1. Background
This is a technical standard developed by the NSW ICT Procurement and Technical Standards Working Group. The standard contains technical and functional requirements that agencies should consider when procuring IP Telephony services.
By defining the necessary and common elements across agencies, the standard provides an opportunity to leverage the buying power of Government as a whole, improve procurement efficiency and increase interoperability.
1.2. Purpose
The purpose of this standard is to assist NSW Government agencies to develop, procure and implement Telecommunications - Internet Protocol Telephony Services (TIPTS), as well as take full advantage of their benefits. This standard also helps agencies procure in a strategic manner that reflects the NSW Government’s priorities as outlined in the NSW Government ICT Strategy.
This standard details the issues that need to be considered so each agency can identify the available options that best suit their business requirements, helping agencies achieve value for money through cost savings and improved flexibility of service offerings.
1.3. Scope and application
This standard applies to all NSW Government departments, statutory bodies and shared service providers. It does not apply to state-owned corporations, but is recommended for their adoption.
For the purpose of this standard, TIPTS is defined as having the elements set out at section 3.1.
This standard sets out service definitions as minimum requirements that vendors must meet to be able to offer their services through the NSW ICT Services Catalogue. Agencies should consider any specific operational or regulatory factors that impact their requirements, and specific requirements they have in addition to those detailed in this standard.
1.4. Policy context
The NSW Government ICT Strategy and Digital + 2016 Final Update set out the Government’s plan to: build capability across the NSW public sector to deliver better, more customer-focused services that are available anywhere, anytime; and to derive increased value from the Government’s annual investment in ICT.
Developing whole of NSW Government ICT technical standards is a key initiative of the NSW Government ICT Strategy, driven by the ICT Procurement and Technical Standards Working Group. These standards leverage principles defined in the NSW Government ICT Strategy and the NSW Government Cloud Policy, and they support the NSW ICT Services Catalogue.
The standards set out service definitions as minimum requirements that vendors must meet to be able to offer their services through the NSW Services Catalogue. This helps achieve consistency across service offerings, emphasising a move to as a service sourcing strategies in line with the NSW Government ICT Strategy, and it signals government procurement priorities to industry.
Solutions should also assist agencies in their alignment with the NSW Government Enterprise Architecture (NSW GEA), which encompasses all aspects of enterprise architecture activity at the business, information, application and technology infrastructure layers. The NSW GEA is about providing direction and practical guidance to accelerate the development of agency EA capability and enabling a common, intra and inter agency approach to the design of digital government.
This standard should be applied along with existing NSW Government policies and guidance, including the NSW Digital Information Security Policy. More information on the process for the development of standards that populate the ICT Services Catalogue is at Appendix D – Standards.
1.5. The ICT Services Catalogue
This catalogue provides suppliers with a showcase for their products and services, and an opportunity to outline how their offerings meet or exceed standard government requirements. The standards, together with supplier service offerings, help to reduce red tape and duplication of effort by allowing suppliers to submit service details only once against the standards. The offerings are then available to all potential buyers, simplifying procurement processes for government agencies.
Implementing this category management approach embeds common approaches, technologies and systems to maintain currency, improve interoperability and provide better value ICT investment across NSW Government.
2. KEY PRINCIPLES
The following key principles underpin this standard:
· Fit for purpose: Standards should meet agency business requirements, and provide sufficient bandwidth for current and future applications.
· Information security: Meet any applicable requirements of the NSW Digital Information Security Policy and ISO 27001.
· Facilitating as a service: TIPTS should facilitate the agency transition to as a service, and ensure agency alignment with broader NSW ICT Strategy.
· Interoperability: TIPTS should meet applicable recognised open standards to support interoperability.
· Business continuity: TIPTS should meet business continuity requirements (see the NSW Digital Information Security Policy and ISO 27031-2011 for guidance on business continuity).
· Value for money: TIPTS procurement should deliver value for money, in line with the investment principles set out in the NSW Government ICT Investment Policy and Guidelines.
3. REQUIREMENTS
Definitions for items discussed below can be found in Appendix a - Definitions It is recommended that agencies looking at using the IP Telephony and Call Centre Standard also review the Infrastructure as a Service & Platform as a Service standards.
3.1. IP Telephony Services
IP Telephony Services (for the purpose of this standard) are technologies that use the Internet Protocol's packet-switched connections to exchange voice, video (two way video and audio), fax, and other forms of information.
3.2. Call Centre Services
Contact Centre Services (for the purpose of this standard) is the provision of a suite of multimedia Contact Centre tools.
3.3. Requirements table
The following table sets out the recommended business and technical requirements for NSW Government. It provides a consistent approach for all NSW Government agencies regardless of their size. Explanations for each element of table are provided at section 3.x.
ü / Requiredt / Optional, but beneficial
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Telecommunications – IP Telephony Services
‘Use cases’ for Telecommunications – IP Services that are anticipated in agencies are included in the table below. The corresponding requirement sections of this standard are marked in the columns.
Use Case / Scenario – Silver Service / Telecommunications – Internet Protocol Telephony Service / Service ManagementVOIP Handsets / Paging over IP / Softphones / Smartphones replace office handsets / Bring Your Own Devices / Unified Communications, audio and video conference services / Linkage to traditional PABX / Quality of Service / Web-chat / Collaboration with e-mail and UC solutions / Self-service administration / Full-service administration / Cloud compliant hosting facility / NSW Government Data Centre / Onshore/offshore management / Service level management / Multi-service broker provision / Performance and latency / Disaster recovery
IP Telephony and Video Services / t / t / ü / t / t / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü
Call Centre Services / t / ü / t / t / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü
Use Case / Scenario – Gold Service / Telecommunications – Internet Protocol Telephony Service / Service Management
VOIP Handsets / Paging over IP / Softphones / Smartphones replace office handsets / Bring Your Own Devices / Unified Communications, audio and video conference services / Linkage to traditional PABX / Quality of Service / Web-chat / Collaboration with e-mail and UC solutions / Self-service administration / Full-service administration / Cloud compliant hosting facility / NSW Government Data Centre / Onshore/offshore management / Service level management / Multi-service broker provision / Performance and latency / Disaster recovery
IP Telephony and Video Services / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü
Call Centre Services / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü / ü
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Telecommunications – IP Telephony Services
3.6 . Elements of this standard
3.6.1 IP Telephony and Video Services
VOIP Handsets
Provision of VOIP handsets as part of the service as required by the commission agency. A full description of the handsets available should exist in the form of a catalogue. All responses to market engagements should describe how their solutions will deliver services and any known limitations.
Paging over IP
Provision of ‘paging over IP’ as required by Agencies that have a need to alert staff members to a situation. Solutions should identify how these services are delivered and what if any limitations exist in the provision of said services.
Softphones
Solutions to provision ‘soft phone’ outcomes that work seamless with all common operating environments and with both wired and wireless connectivity options. Solutions should identify how these services are delivered and what if any limitations exist in the provision of said services.
Smartphones replace office handset
Solutions to permit the usage of mobile smartphones as replacements for office based VOIP handsets. When devices enter a defined ‘geo-fence’ the device becomes a replacement for VOIP handset numbers without the need to ‘forward to external’. When outside of the ‘geo-fence’ the number can optionally be ‘call forwarded’ to device.
Bring Your Own Devices
Solutions should be able to support ‘Bring Your Own Devices’ (BYOD) options in meeting the above element. Please also refer to the ‘Mobile Device and Application Framework’ for additional information support for BYOD requirements.
Unified Communications, audio and video conference services
Solutions to provide the ability to support two video/audio conference services that are linked with agency Unified Communications (UC) platform(s). Responses to any market engagement(s) need to articulate the UC platforms they can integrate with together with other additional information on other third party devices the solution can use to meet the requirements of this element.
Linkage to traditional PABX services
Solutions must provide appropriate linkages to traditional PABX services either for the purposes of transition away from these services or as an on-going requirement. Responses to any market engagement must describe how their solution achieves this outcome together with known limitations in terms of PABX systems they can connect with.
Quality of Service
Solutions are to ensure appropriate Quality of Service (QoS) exist to ensure services are delivered to the required service standard either as defined in the service description or as agreed between the agency(s) and the solution provider. Responses to any market engagement must describe how their solution delivery this requirement including provision of a sample table.
3.6.2 Call Centre Services
Web Chat
Solutions to provide the ability to conduct ‘web chat’ functionality to ensure real-time communications via all commonly used web browsers and operating platforms . Responses to any market engagement must describe how their solution delivery this requirement and any known limitations.
Collaboration with e-mail and Unified Communications platforms
Solutions to provide the ability to seamlessly integrate with all common e-mail and/or unified communications platforms/solutions. Responses to any market engagement must describe how their solution delivery this requirement and any known limitations.
3.6.3 Service Management requirements
Self-service administration
The ability to automatically provision and de-provision for all agency resources within the system, together with other appropriate administration and management tasks that can be delegated from the service provider that do not impinge on the solution being provided to other customers.
Full-service administration
All provisioning, de-provisioning, together with all other administration and management tasks required to operate the environment, are provided as part of the service offering. The only exception will be service management of the provider which remains the sole responsibility of the initiating agency.
Cloud compliant hosting facility
All relevant cloud services for the solution may be provisioned from a compliant hosting facility. Compliant hosting is defined as having the following attributes and/or capabilities:
· The location of the hosting facility must be identified either by name and/or location (city and country) in any response.
· The hosting location cannot be changed without first informing the agency concerned.
· The service provider undertakes, maintains and provides access to SSAE 16 Service Organization Control (SOC) Type II reports (or equivalent) for the services and facilities in scope for the engagement.
· The hosting facility must comply with minimum Tier 3, as defined by the Uptime Institute, ANSI TIA-942, or an equivalent industry standard.
· The hosting facility must be certified against ISO 27001; compliance with the following international standards is desirable:
o ISO 9001
o ISO 27002
o ISO 20000-1:2011
o ISO 14001
Other desirable certifications may include, but are not limited to:
o PCI-DSS v3.0 or later
o Australian Signals Directorate
o ASIO-T4
o Uptime Institute
o CSA
Also consider contractual obligations relating to the service provider allowing security assessments and treatment of outcomes as agreed with the client.
If the hosting facilities changes to a location that is deemed unacceptable either to NSW Government or to the agency and/or loses attributes and/or capabilities identified above, the agency may need to consider termination of services.
NSW Government Data Centre
All relevant services for the solution may be provisioned from one or both NSW Government Data Centres (GovDC). Depending on the service offering and agency requirements, it may be possible to ‘burst’ some elements of services to other location(s) subject to agreement with the commissioning agency.