- Id
- C/2025/624
- Status
- complete
- Procurement Method
- direct
- Procurement Method Details
- Direct award
- Why this procedure was chosen
- 1.1 Security-Sensitive Infrastructure
The existing CCTV infrastructure operates within a highly secure environment that includes:
• Internet Protocol (IP) based architecture across servers, switches, and camera networks.
• End-to-end encrypted video transmission and data storage.
• Controlled integration with police, local authority, and national security platforms.
• Role-based access controls and hardened cybersecurity policies.
Any modification to this architecture introduces inherent risks to system integrity, data protection, and operational resilience. The incumbent supplier holds full knowledge of the security architecture, encryption keys, firewall rules, VLAN segregation, failover protocols, and other critical system parameters.
1.2 Continuity of Service Obligations
The CCTV Shared Service is a 24/7 operational environment. Any prolonged downtime or system instability during the upgrade process would:
• Expose public safety risks.
• Jeopardize evidential continuity for criminal investigations.
• Breach legal and statutory obligations under GDPR, DPA, and surveillance codes of practice.
The incumbent supplier is uniquely positioned to undertake the upgrade without disruption, leveraging their intimate familiarity with existing configurations, historical issues, and contingency protocols.
2. Incumbent-Specific Configuration & Compliance Requirements
2.1 Proprietary System Configuration
The Veracity (iComply) VMS has been heavily customised over its operational life cycle, incorporating:
• Custom integration with multiple third-party data feeds (ANPR, Help Points, Blue Light integration, etc.).
• Bespoke alerting, audit trails, and control room user interfaces.
• Unique failover and recovery protocols developed by the incumbent.
Attempting to replicate or reverse-engineer these configurations via a third party would require:
• Extensive reverse engineering.
• Risk of misconfiguration.
• Loss of undocumented institutional knowledge.
2.2 Warranty, Liability & Maintenance Conflicts
• The incumbent supplier holds full responsibility for system warranties, ongoing maintenance, and post-installation support.
• Introducing a third-party installer would result in split liability and non-alignment of warranty obligations.
• Should technical issues arise post-upgrade, the incumbent would be contractually and commercially entitled to decline support on non-standard installations.
2.3 Regulatory & Audit Compliance
The incumbent supplier maintains full compliance with external and statutory audits including SSAIB certification, which validates:
• System integrity.
• Data security.
• Operational competence.
• Resilience to cyber and physical threats.
Any deviation from the incumbent's service introduces compliance risks that may trigger adverse audit findings or even operational shutdown pending rectification
3. Access to Secure Data & Controlled Environments
3.1 Access to Sensitive Information
The upgrade process requires privileged access to:
• Historical and live surveillance footage.
• Secure server environments containing criminal investigation data.
• Law enforcement integration nodes.
• Critical physical access to secured data centres and control rooms.
The incumbent supplier already holds the required security clearances, training, and vetted personnel approved for working within these highly restricted environments.
3.2 Contractor Vetting & Validation
• Engaging new contractors would trigger extensive security vetting, vetting agency approvals, police background checks, and control room familiarisation.
• This process is time-consuming, costly, and carries the risk of failed clearances, delaying the upgrade.
• The incumbent's team remains fully cleared, trained, and embedded within current security protocols.
4. Market Comparison & Financial Analysis
4.1 Market Alternatives Considered
A comparative market assessment was undertaken to evaluate alternative suppliers and solutions, including:
• Full replacement options such as Genetec and Milestone VMS platforms.
• Re-engagement with previous suppliers offering similar solutions.
4.2 Comparative Cost Analysis
• A full system replacement was priced at approximately 400% higher than the incumbent's quoted costs due to hardware, licensing, integration, and training expenses.
• A previous supplier's proposal was 200% more expensive than the incumbent's quote for equivalent scope.
• Ancillary costs such as staff retraining, operational downtime, and interface redevelopment further inflate non-incumbent solutions.
4.3 Value for Money Conclusion
The incumbent's proposal represents:
• Full backward compatibility.
• Minimal retraining requirements.
• No service downtime.
• Lowest capital and operational expenditure.