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Technology Certification Process

Document no.: eIRPL-00001

Revision: 3.2

Author: Izak de Villiers, Deon Nel

Date: 2016-08-30

Electronic File: Tech Certification Process 3.2.docx

CONFIDENTIAL

SITA Technology Certification Process CONFIDENTIAL of 25

Notice

© 2016 SITA. All rights reserved.

No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means Without the express written permission of SITA.

Document enquiries can be directed to: Innovation Technology Advisory Services (iTAS)

SITA SOC. P.O. Box 26100, Monument Park, 0105, South Africa Attention: Izak de Villiers ([email protected]) Telephone: 012 482 2749

Approval

The signatories hereof, being duly authorised thereto, by their signatures hereto authorise the execution of the work detailed herein, or confirm their acceptance of the contents hereof and authorise the implementation/adoption thereof, as the case may be, for and on behalf of the parties represented by them.

Foreword

This document describes the technology management process for SITA’s certified product catalogue. The process is applicable to SITA Certification, SITA Innovation and OEMs who want to have their products certified by SITA. The process was designed and implemented by SITA Innovation (iTAS) as part of its technology management mandate. It replaces version 3.1 of the Technology Certification Process.

mailto:[email protected]

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Contents

Contents .................................................................................................................................... 5

Figures ...................................................................................................................................... 5

Tables ........................................................................................................................................ 5

1. Introduction .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 References .......................................................................................................................... 7 1.2 Technology domains ............................................................................................................. 8

2. Definitions and process framework ....................................................................................... 8 2.1 Technology updates ............................................................................................................. 9 2.2 Product certification ............................................................................................................. 9

3. Process to be followed ........................................................................................................... 9 3.1 Technology updates ........................................................................................................... 10 3.2 Product certification ........................................................................................................... 10 3.3 Components/accessory changes........................................................................................... 12

4. General rules and guidelines ................................................................................................ 13

5. Conclusion ........................................................................................................................... 14

Annex A: OEM process diagram ............................................................................................. 15

Annex B: Certification checklist ............................................................................................. 17

Annex C: Certificate sample .................................................................................................. 19

Annex D: Contact details ...................................................................................................... 21

Annex E: Processes diagrams, roles and responsibilities ...................................................... 23

Annex F: Glossary and Definitions ........................................................................................ 25

Figures

Figure 1: Certified technology domains ............................................................................................ 8 Figure 2: Requirements for supply to Government .......................................................................... 13 Figure 3: OEM product certification process diagram ....................................................................... 15 Figure 4: Tech update process ...................................................................................................... 23 Figure 5: Product certification process ........................................................................................... 23

Tables

Table 1: Components of certified technology domains ....................................................................... 7 Table 1: TU roles and responsibilities ............................................................................................ 10 Table 2: Product certification roles and responsibilities .................................................................... 11 Table 3: iTAS contact details ........................................................................................................ 21

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1. Introduction

According to National Treasury Practice Note 5 of 2009, SITA must conduct a standard

certification in respect of goods and services. In support of this, SITA has established a

Technology Certification Process (TCP) to allow OEMs and brand legal entities to submit their

respective product ranges for certification. The TCP is implemented to support current and new

Government transversal contracts.

As of 2016, certified technology domains include, but are not restricted to, the following:

Domain Components

Audiovisual

Communications (AVC) Technologies

Video and audio conferencing, large-format display devices (projectors, AV monitors

and video walls), interactive whiteboards, collaboration, media recording, AV signal control and management.

Infrastructure UPS, Equipment Racks, Generators, Cable ducting, trenching and routing.

Networking Switches, WLAN, Routers, Backhaul, Cabling (copper and fibre).

Personal Computing Devices

Desktop PCs, Mobile PCs, Desktop displays, and Mobile devices (Tablets, Smartphones, eReaders).

Peripherals Printers, Multifunction devices, Scanners, Digital cameras, Auto-ID (Barcoding, Card

devices), Optical storage (DVD duplicators), Small peripherals and Consumables.

Servers & Storage Servers (Rack-mount, Tower, Blade), Primary storage and Secondary storage (Tape,

D2D, Archiving).

Table 1: Components of certified technology domains

Specific product categories to be addressed are included in the respective detail technical

specifications for each technology domain, as explained below. These specifications can be

downloaded from the SITA website at the web address provided below.

The certification process will be conducted on a continuous basis and, since it is open to all

participants, will not exclude any OEMs or products, but rather cater for new technologies,

OEMs, products or categories as and when they enter the market.

1.1 References

1. State Information Technology Agency Act (Act 88 of 1998), as amended by Act 38 of

2002

2. SITA Regulations, dated 23 September 2005

3. National Treasury Practice Note no. 5 of 2009

4. SITA Product Certification: OEM Memorandum of Agreement (eIRPL-00002), version 2.0,

July 2016

5. Technical specifications for technology domains (on SITA Product Certification website

www.sita.co.za/prodcert.htm)

6. Technical Specifications – Conditions and Definitions: www.sita.co.za/prodcert.htm

7. Latest versions of all related specifications, processes, documents and forms:

www.sita.co.za/prodcert.htm

8. MoA-related documents and forms:

a. Memorandum of Agreement:

www.sita.co.za/Prod%20Cert/MoA%20OEM%201.3%20(Product%20Certification).d

ocx

b. OEM Meeting Checklist: www.sita.co.za/Prod%20Cert/Checklist%20MoA.xlsx

9. Operational Leval Agreement: iTAS and Certification

http://www.sita.co.za/prodcert.htm



http://www.sita.co.za/Prod%20Cert/MoA%20OEM%201.3%20(Product%20Certification).docx

http://www.sita.co.za/Prod%20Cert/MoA%20OEM%201.3%20(Product%20Certification).docx

http://www.sita.co.za/Prod%20Cert/Checklist%20MoA.xlsx

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of 25 CONFIDENTIAL SITA Technology Certification Process

1.2 Technology domains

The diagram below indicates with a © the technology domains currently covered by the

certification process. Additional technology domains will be incorporated into the process as

required by the client or SITA. Envisaged new domains as of 2016 include Surveillance and

Assistive Technologies.

Figure 1: Certified technology domains

2. Definitions and process framework

Technology certification comprises two mechanisms to keep technology current, namely:

a) Technology Updates, and

b) Product Certification.

This document describes the processes to be followed by OEMs and SITA to enable effective

technology management.

All technology domains do not require the same processes or the same level of interaction, and

these processes will be applied to individual domains as appropriate.

This section defines the different types of updates to the technology specification and product

catalogue.

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2.1 Technology updates

As Government’s business requirements change, the technology solutions to address those

needs must be adapted. SITA will continually update and extend the relevant technology

domains (and the supporting technical specifications) in support of changing and expanding

needs in its client base.

Technology updates will address changes such as CPU speed, hard disk sizes, memory

capacities, etc., as well as new iterations of industry standards such as USB or Ethernet. These

are general updates that apply to all affected products irrespective of which product brand or

model is offered. The frequency of tech updates will depend on how often the domain changes

in general. More regular tech updates will be applied to devices that have frequent changes of

component specifications (e.g. PCs and mobile devices), while domains such as networking

and Infrastructure will change less regularly. Other changes to the specifications will be made

as required.

The tech update process will be initiated by SITA, compiled by iTAS in consultation with

Government technical representatives (including the GITOC TTT), industry (suppliers and

OEMs), and communicated to all role players via iTAS’ distribution list which is maintained per

technology domain.

In addition to expanding or updating existing technology domains, SITA will add additional

domains to the certification process as required by the client. Device types may also be moved

between technology domains if required.

2.2 Product certification

In support of SITA’s mandate, all products supplied to Government must be certified. OEMs

must submit products for certification along with all required information and other delivera-

bles, after which iTAS will conduct the certification process. Certified products will be listed in a

catalogue accessible online to all role players.

Model changes are a special case of the product certification process, in that a previous

instance/model of the product is already certified, and confirmation is required from the OEM

that the current product is end-of-life. Apart from this, the standard process is followed. Once

the replacement product has been certified, suppliers of the product will have one month to

replace the old product with a new one. After this, sales of the old product will no longer be

allowed, as the new certificate will replace the previous one.

2.2.1 Components/accessory changes

Any changes to a product, or replacement of a product by a new model often necessitates

changing the associated components or accessories. OEMs may receive requests from clients

to add additional components to their product offering to address specific needs. These

changes need to be vetted and approved by iTAS as part of the certification process. Factors

that may impact the outcome include cost of the component, overlap with other domains or

categories, and technical suitability of the component.

As part of the standard certification process, iTAS reserves the right to vet products,

accessories and components offered by OEMs, and ensure that only products that meet all

requirements are included in the certified offerings available to Government.

3. Process to be followed

The following is an overview of the proposed process for each type of technology update. A

process diagram for OEMs to follow is included in the Annex.

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3.1 Technology updates

Tech updates will be implemented as and when required by each individual technology domain.

1. Research: Before each tech update is drafted, new and current technologies in the

domain are researched by iTAS and those applicable to Government are identified.

2. Consult: In addition to industry research, Government users and industry role players are

polled for input on new or changing business requirements.

3. Draft: A proposed technology update is drawn up by iTAS and communicated with all

involved parties. This includes a TU summary as well as the detail specification.

4. Ratify: In consultation with all role players, the proposal for new technologies is finalised.

The final decision to ratify any Tech Update will be made by the duly delegated GITOC

body, i.e. the Technology Task Team (TTT). The ratification process requires agreement to

the new specifications by industry, and specifically OEMs.

5. Implement: iTAS formally communicates the changes to all role players, after which the

new technology will be in force within one month. All technical content of the Tech Update

(the Tech Update Summary as well as the updated Detail Spec) are posted on the SITA

website for access by all role players.

6. Execute: After a tech update has been implemented, OEMs must ensure that their

products are configured as required by the detail specification.

The table below describes the TU process in terms of the RACI (Responsible / Accountable /

Consult / Inform) model. A process diagram has been included in the Annex.

Action R A C I

1. Research iTAS iTAS

2. Consult (obtain input) iTAS iTAS OEMs,

TTT, clients

3. Draft TU iTAS iTAS

4. Ratify TU TTT iTAS OEMs SCProc

5. Implement TU iTAS iTAS

6. Execute Resellers OEMs iTAS

Table 2: TU roles and responsibilities

Notes:

1. The implementation of a tech update may require model changes for some products. This

must be managed by the OEM in a timely manner via the standard certification process.

2. In cases where system configurations were changed, OEMs must inform their partners if

this will have a price impact, to ensure that quoted pricing complies with minimum specifi-

cations.

3. SITA will create new technology categories or specifications within a technology domain as

and when required by Government. This will be done in consultation with Government and

industry players.

3.2 Product certification

The product certification process must be driven by the OEM, on behalf of all its partners who

supply the product to Government.

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1. OEM downloads latest version of required forms, specifications and other information

from the Product Certification website (www.sita.co.za/prodcert.htm).

2. OEM prepares all documentation and demo equipment (if required), along with a written

application for certification. The format and contents of this application are addressed

below, and iTAS may be consulted if required. OEM must ensure that the product complies

with all mandatory requirements as per the current technical specification. Products that do

not comply with all specifications will not be certified.

3. OEM submits the request and all supporting documentation to iTAS.

4. The iTAS Coordinator schedules an evaluation appointment, at which time hard-copy

deliverables must be submitted as per the Certification checklist. The technical resource

that prepared the documentation must be present at the certification meeting to address

any queries.

5. As per the standard iTAS evaluation process, iTAS verifies and evaluates the new

product against the current technical specification. Most of the verification process is done

in the evaluation meeting with the OEM. Full compliance with all mandatory specifications

and configurations is required, as well as a calculated TTCO figure that is equal to or lower

than that of the previous product (if applicable). If successful, the product is certified to be

supplied to Government.

6. iTAS produces a certificate to formalise the successful outcome of the process.

7. iTAS sends a soft copy of the certificate to the OEM, and updates the product catalogue

with the relevant information. OEMs are required to communicate and enforce the certifica-

tion conditions within its reseller/partner base.

8. Once the OEM informs its partners of the new certification, the partners execute it by

supplying the product according to the certified standard. In case of a model change, the

older product must be phased out within 30 days of the certificate date.

The table below describes the certification process in terms of the RACI (Responsible /

Accountable / Consult / Inform) model. A process diagram has been included in the Annex.

Action R A C I

1. Download OEM OEM SITA website

2. Prepare OEM OEM iTAS

3. Submit OEM OEM iTAS

4. Schedule iTAS iTAS OEM

5. Evaluate iTAS iTAS OEM

6. Certify iTAS iTAS OEM

7. Communicate iTAS,

OEM

iTAS,

OEM

Industry,

clients

8. Execute Partners, resellers

OEM

Table 3: Product certification roles and responsibilities

Note that no sales of uncertified products to Government will be allowed. Contravention of

this condition may result in blacklisting of the OEM, supplier or product.

All certificates and relevant information can be found on the SITA website under Product

Certification (www.sita.co.za/prodcert.htm), or by navigating to the Product Certification page

under Standards on the SITA home page at www.sita.co.za.



http://www.sita.co.za/

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3.2.1 Format of certification request

All certification requests must be forwarded to the iTAS service desk: [email protected]. The

request must contain the following information as formal deliverables:

1. An electronic request on the supplier’s letterhead specifying the product requiring

certification listing all relevant details (at least the Category/Item and product model

name).

2. In case of a model change, formal confirmation from the product manufacturer/OEM that

the current product has reached the end of its lifespan, and will be replaced by the pro-

posed product. The OEM must also confirm that the new product complies with the current

specification.

3. A completed electronic copy the technical specification with all technical details of the new

products. In case of a model change (product transition), all changes from the previous

products (e.g. product size, weight) must be highlighted on the specification. This will

facilitate the technical evaluation of the new product. Please consult the Annex for more

details on the format of the technical content. This submission must be based on the

latest/current technical specification (latest Tech Update). Draft versions of the

spec will not be accepted. Note that no changes may be made to the spec as provided.

4. A completed electronic copy of the Product Certification Checklist must also be

submitted, along with all required deliverables (certificates, data sheets, etc.) stipulated

therein.

The request should reach SITA at least 30 days in advance of the product’s general market

availability. Failure to submit a timely request for certification may result in the product not

being available for procurement by Government.

3.2.2 Evaluation deliverables

All required deliverables are documented in the Product Certification Checklist, which can be

downloaded from the Certification website. Only once all deliverables have been submitted will

an evaluation meeting be scheduled with the OEM. Products will not be certified until all

technical issues have been resolved.

3.3 Components/accessory changes

As described above, requests from clients or resellers may require an OEM to add new

components or accessories to an existing certified product. The process to handle these

changes will be managed as follows:

1. A request from the OEM contractor is forwarded to iTAS. (This may form part of the

standard certification process.)

2. iTAS examines the request in light of the requirement, technical suitability, cost and

possible overlap with other categories or technology domains. This may include testing or

evaluating the components in the Lab.

3. If no issues are identified, the new components are recommended for inclusion in the

contract.

4. iTAS notifies the supplier of the approval.

5. Partners are allowed to offer these new components as part of solutions proposed to

Government.

As a principle, any component that is not fully supported and warranted by the OEM will not be

accepted by iTAS.


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4. General rules and guidelines

The following rules and guidelines will be applied during technology certification.

1. The technical specification always represents minimum requirements, therefore anything

that exceeds requirements is always acceptable.

2. iTAS must be informed of instances where a product’s technical specification is improved

(i.e. faster CPU, more RAM, larger hard disk) outside of Model Change or Tech Update

processes. This does not represent a model change, and no approval process is necessary

to supply to Government.

3. In general for Servers, PCs and Notebooks, if a new Microsoft HCL (Hardware Compatibility

List) certification is required, or a hard disk image change (i.e. different software/drivers),

this will require re-certification. Components that typically require an HCL update include

the chipset and motherboard. A product name change or update of the chassis would not

necessarily require a model change. Changes of this nature require only a certificate

update, to be requested by the OEM.

4. If a product is still generally available for sale by the certificate expiry date, the OEM may

approach SITA for a new certificate with an extended expiry date.

5. A certification for a model change (i.e. replacement of existing certified product) will

supersede the existing certificate.

6. All role players are provided ample opportunity to contribute to Tech Updates. If a Tech

Update is ratified, it must be implemented by suppliers by the specified date.

7. SITA reserves the right to postpone or cancel the product certification process if the OEM is

not sufficiently prepared for the evaluation.

8. All product certifications will be done solely at the discretion of SITA. In support of its

mandate to enable economies of scale, SITA cannot certify every single product of every

OEM. Therefore, certified products will have to demonstrate that there is a definite re-

quirement within Government, and that it will not dilute the overall volume strategy.

9. In support of the certification process, a formal relationship must be established between

SITA and the OEM via a Memorandum of Agreement, which must be completed and

submitted by the OEM. The MoA must be finalised before any products may be certified.

10. Any component or solution that is

not fully supported and warranted

by the OEM will not be accepted

by iTAS.

11. The fact that a product is certified

does not mean it is automatically

available to Government for

procurement. In order for a

product to be purchased by

Government, both the supplier

and product must be explicitly

accredited by SITA on a Transver-

sal or Period Contract. The Venn

diagram indicates all require-

ments for a product to be legally

supplied to Govermment: only the

white area meets all require-

ments.

Figure 2: Requirements for supply to Govern-ment

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5. Conclusion

Committed cooperation is needed from all role players to ensure that current, cost-effective

technology is available to Government in a timely fashion. SITA would like to express its

thanks to all role players (including clients, OEMs and suppliers) for their valuable contribution

to the technology certification process, enabling SITA to manage its technology catalogue to

meet the requirements of Government.

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Annex A: OEM process diagram

Figure 3: OEM product certification process diagram

OEM gathers & prepares all deliverables

OEM submits request + info

to iTAS

Product certification

Product certified

Lab technical verification/testing

iTAS produces certificate

Product rejected

OEM rectifies shortcomings

Require-ments met?

Yes

No

Comply?

Yes

No

OEM downloads forms & spec from website

OEM MOA in place?

Yes

No

Establish MOA

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Annex B: Certification checklist

The Certification checklist details all required deliverables, as well as actions to take prior to

the evaluation meeting at the Tech Lab. Products will be certified once all deliverables have

been received, and any technical issues identified during evaluation are resolved.

The checklist is available for download from the Certification website. It must be completed

and submitted before commencement of the certification process. The checklist will be used

during evaluation to indicate resolved and outstanding issues.

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Annex C: Certificate sample

Certificates will be issued to all products that are approved via the product certification

process. A sample is included here for clarity. The certificate will include all relevant

information about the product, technology domain, certification date and validity period.

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Annex D: Contact details

Contact details of SITA personnel involved in the technology management process:

Role Name Division Contact details

iTAS service desk (all requests to be sent to this address)

iTAS e-mail address iTAS [email protected] 012 482 2872

iTAS Coordinator Paulina Mapane iTAS [email protected]

012 482 2872

Technology management and

consultation

Deon Nel iTAS [email protected]

012 482 2136

Technology management and consultation

Izak de Villiers iTAS [email protected] 012 482 2749

Senior Manager: iTAS/Tech Lab Sonette Meerman iTAS [email protected]

012 482 2870

Table 4: iTAS contact details






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Annex E: Processes diagrams, roles and responsibilities

Figure 4: Tech update process

Figure 5: Product certification process

Technology Update Process

Clie

nt

Clie

nt

OE

MO

EM

iTA

SiT

AS

TT

TT

TT

Ratify TU

Technology

Research

Start: New biz

requirements

End:

Technology

updated

Consult Draft TU

Implement

Execute

Inputs Feedback

Inputs Feedback

Product Certification Process

Clie

nt

Clie

nt

Su

pp

liers

Su

pp

liers

iTA

SiT

AS

OE

MO

EM

Evaluate

Product

Prepare tech

documents

Start:

Requirement

for product

Comply? Yes

Certify

Product /

Solution

No

Update

Catalogue

Download

documents

& specs

Submit

request

Schedule

meeting

Rectify Inform

Execute

End:

Product available

for purchase

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Annex F: Glossary and Definitions

Term Definition

GITOC Government IT Officers Council

HCL Hardware Compatibility List

ICT Information and Communications Technology

IEC International Electrotechnical Commission

ISO International Standards Organisation

iTAS Innovation Technology Advisory Services, a division of SITA Innovation, incorporating the

Tech Lab

IT Information Technology

MoA Memorandum of Agreement

OEM Original Equipment Manufacturer: primarily responsible for technology management; legal

entity representing brand in South Africa; could be made up of a group of vendors (OEM, distributor, reseller) to facilitate technology management.

OS Operating System

PC Personal Computer

SITA State IT Agency

TCP Technology Certification Process

TTCO Tech Total Cost of Ownership

TTT Technical Task Team, a sub-committee of the GITOC Standing Committee on Procurement

TU Tech Update

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