Roc Technologies, a managed services provider, has announced it has been chosen as the strategic partner by the City of London Corporation to deliver an end-to-end networking connectivity solution, encompassing a UK-first enterprise SASE rollout for public services, AI-driven wireless capability and high-availability internet.
Fueled by a mandate to create a “One City” experience for millions, the City of London aims to redefine how world-class connectivity empowers residents, visitors and businesses, utilizing pioneering edge technologies to further enhance the City’s position as a world leader in business and financial services.
The new partnership with Roc builds on this vision, helping the Corporation to fulfill its role as a pioneer of digital innovation in the UK.
Cloud and AI capabilities
Roc’s highly innovative and ambitious solution leverages Cloud and AI capabilities for network delivery and services, incorporating the first public sector full enterprise deployment of SASE in the UK. This will in turn provide standardized, highly available connectivity to millions of users across the City of London, while simultaneously enhancing and automating security at the edge.
Coverage spans the City of London Corporation, the City of London Police, the Barbican Centre, City of London schools, parks, libraries and protected heritage locations such as Epping Forest, the iconic ponds at Hampstead Heath and Mansion House. With over 200 locations included in the solution, the City of London ensures connectivity reaches every employee, official, resident and visitor within its community.
This trailblazing infrastructure brings tangible, everyday benefits to users right across the City. Reliable, high-speed access means staff can work productively and securely from any location: whether in council offices, classrooms, remote field sites or on city streets.
Enhanced connectivity
Importantly, this enhanced connectivity addresses critical public safety challenges: such as ensuring seamless support for 4K body-worn police cameras, which helps protect officers and the communities they serve, even in remote areas.
Underpinning these advances is an unwavering commitment to data security and sovereignty. With all traffic and devices managed in the cloud, offering significant operational enhancements and cost savings, Roc’s national police-vetted, security-cleared engineers apply rigorous protections: safeguarding operations from their secure Networks and Security Operations Centre and applying data controls including data loss prevention, zero trust networking access, and full alignment to UK policing standards.
Data center operations
All Roc vendors and partners involved in the transformation and delivery of the service maintain resilient data center operations in the UK, ensuring no sensitive data leaves the UK.
The solution leverages HPE’s AI-Ops platform, Juniper MIST, global cybersecurity pioneer Palo Alto Networks’ best-in-class Prisma SASE solution and Vorboss’ unrivalled business connectivity, via its dedicated, fully owned and managed central London fiber network.
Consolidation of suppliers from 11 to one, Roc Technologies also promises cost efficiency. £20,000 a month in savings is projected by removing energy-consuming on-premises hardware and removing supply chain complexity.
The flexibility of the cloud-based service model means that services can be scaled up and down as needed, ensuring further savings and necessary agility for the corporation as it aims to deliver end user services quicker and to even higher quality.
Future-proof network architecture
Chelsea Chamberlin, Chief Technology Officer, Roc Technologies, said, “The City of London sees footfall of millions of people a day, so it’s vital that a consistent network experience is delivered across all locations and to all users, including visitors, residents and businesses regardless of the services they need to access.”
“We’re delighted to be the sole primary supplier for this exciting project, drawing on a range of solutions from our expert partners to deliver a truly future-proof network architecture in the heart of the capital.”
Zakki Ghauri, Director of Digital Services, City of London Corporation, said, “Our ambition is to be at the forefront of digital innovation for the benefit of Londoners. Partnering with Roc enables us to modernize our network, enhance connectivity across all our organizations under one banner and ensure we can deliver innovative, flexible services wherever and whenever they are needed.”