Server Hardware, Virtualisation and Storage Area Network Maintenance Contracts

Ref: FOI/22122 

RE: FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT 2000 REQUEST 

I am writing to confirm that the West Midlands Fire Service has now completed its search for the information you requested further to your freedom of information request. 

Please find below a summary of our findings. 

Request 

This is a request for information that relates to the organisation’s contracts around ICT contract(s) for Server Hardware Maintenance, Server Virtualisation Licenses and Maintenance and Storage Area Network (SAN) Maintenance/Support, which may include: 

• Server Hardware Maintenance- contracts relating to the support and maintenance of the organisation’s physical servers. 
• Virtualisation Maintenance/Support/ Licensing  (VMware, Solaris, Unix, Linux, Windows Server) 

• Storage Area Network Maintenance/Support  (EMC, NetApp etc) 

For each of the types of contract described above, please can you provide me with the following data. If there is more than one contract please split the information for each separate supplier this includes annual spend 

1. Contract Title: Please provide me with the contract title. 
2. Type of Contracts (ABOVE): Please can you provide me with one or more contract types the contract relates to: Server Hardware, Virtualisation, SAN (Storage Area Network) 
3. Existing/Current Supplier:  Please provide me with the supplier name for each contract. 
4. Brand:  Please state the brand of hardware or software  
5. Operating System / Software (Platform): (Windows, Linux, Unix, Vsphere, AIX, Solaris etc.) Please state the operating system used by the organisation. 
6. Annual Average Spend: Please provide me with the most recent annual spend for this contract? 
7. Contract Duration: (Please can you also include notes if the contract includes any contract Extension periods.) 
8. Contract Expiry Date: Please can you provide me with the date of when the contract expires. 
9. Contract Review Date: (An approximate date of when the organisation is planning to review this particular contract.) 
10. Purchase of Servers: Could you please provide me with the month and year in which most/bulk of servers were purchased. 
11. Number of Physical Server: Please can you provide me with the number of physical servers. 
12. Number of Virtual Servers: Please can you provide me with the number of Virtual servers 
13. Brief Contract Description: I require a brief description of the service provided under this contract. Please do not just put maintenance. I need at least a sentence. 
  14.Contract Owner: (The person from within the organisation that is responsible for reviewing and renewing this particular contract. Please include their full name, job title, direct contact number and direct email address.) 
 
If this service is part of a managed contract, please can you send me the contract information for this managed service including Hardware Brand, Number of Users, Operating System, and contact details of the internal contact responsible for this contract 

Reply 

1. Contract Title: Physical Server Maintenance  
2. Type of Contracts (ABOVE): Server Hardware  
3. Existing/Current Supplier:  OneSource IT 
5. Operating System / Software (Platform): Windows, Linux 
6. Annual Average Spend: £6,000 
7. Contract Duration: 36 months  
8. Contract Expiry Date: 06/25  
9. Contract Review Date: 01/25  
10. Purchase of Servers: Not possible  
11. Number of Physical Server: 50  
12. Number of Virtual Servers: 250  
13. Brief Contract Description: Physical Server Break / Fix Maintenance  
 

1. Contract Title: Cisco Maintenance 
2. Type of Contracts (ABOVE): Server Hardware  
3. Existing/Current Supplier: OneSource IT 
5. Operating System / Software (Platform): Windows, Linux 
6. Annual Average Spend: £2,000 
7. Contract Duration: 6 months  
8. Contract Expiry Date: 02/23  
9. Contract Review Date: 01/23  
10. Purchase of Servers: Not Possible  
11. Number of Physical Server: 50  
12. Number of Virtual Servers: 250  
13. Brief Contract Description: Cisco Equipment Break / Fix 
 

1. Contract Title: SAN Maintenance  
2. Type of Contracts (ABOVE): SAN 
3. Existing/Current Supplier:  OneSource IT  
5. Operating System / Software (Platform): Windows, Linux 
6. Annual Average Spend: £1,000 
7. Contract Duration: 6 months  
8. Contract Expiry Date: 02/23  
9. Contract Review Date: 01/23  
10. Purchase of Servers: Not possible  
11. Number of Physical Server: 50  
12. Number of Virtual Servers: 250  
13. Brief Contract Description: SAN Break / Fix Maintenance 
 

Request 
4. Brand:  Please state the brand of hardware or software  

Reply 

The following applies to all three contracts: 
As a major emergency service provider, you will appreciate that releasing information about product versions has wider implications that we must consider.  By this we mean that disclosing this information may prejudice our ability to maintain our own and national security. We believe that maintaining security and ensuring public safety in a national and local context takes precedence over this request. Therefore, we refuse the request to release product versions under S24 National Security of the Freedom of Information Act. 

We accept that this type of information is of interest to commercial companies and to researchers but believe that it is not in the greater public good to release detailed information on the versions of products we use. 

Request 
14.Contract Owner: (The person from within the organisation that is responsible for reviewing and renewing this particular contract. Please include their full name, job title, direct contact number and direct  email address.) 

Reply 

The following applies to all three contracts:  
With regards for the contact details of responsible persons, WMFS operates a single point of contact policy and callers are directed via HQ general contacts on 0330 058 9000. The call will be directed to the person with responsibility for the specific service. There is a direct email address for suppliers making sales enquires email: procurement.enquires@wmfs.net. Furthermore, guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office is as follows: 

• The presumption is in favour of protecting privacy, so the release of personal information will only be fair if there is a genuine reason to disclose. This involves a three-stage test. A public authority will generally have to satisfy itself that: 
• There is a legitimate interest in disclosure; 
• The legitimate interest can only be met, or fully met, by the disclosure of information which identifies individuals (i.e. the disclosure is necessary to that purpose); and, the disclosure would not involve unwarranted detriment to the individual’s privacy or other rights and legitimate interests. 
• You can find out more about FOI exemptions from the Information Commissioner’s Office. This will explain which one or more of the FOI exemptions applies, and tell you how to appeal if you disagree with our decision. 

If you have any queries about this Freedom of Information request, please contact us. Please remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications. 

For service complaints, issues or comments regarding this request please contact The Public Relations Department, West Midlands Fire Service, 99 Vauxhall Road, Birmingham, B7 4HW 

Further information concerning Freedom of Information requests can be found on the Information Commissioner website at either the following link: https://ico.org.uk/ or at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, SK9 5AF.