State Data Network Allocation

Page updated 10/09/2019

Allocation Goal / Methodology

The State Data Network Allocation was established to stabilize funding for the State Data Network to include equipment, software, and staffing.

The 2019-21 Enacted budget changed the method for allocating the State Network cost to state agencies, effective July 1, 2019. The new methodology allocates the total cost of the state network based on the number of circuits each agency has and by type of capacity (utilizing statewide cost averages for type of capacity).

How was this calculated?

WaTech provided the base cost of the state network and divided it into two components:

  • Annual costs to support the Network core, which was allocated based on FTEs.
  • Annual costs to provide data transport support, which was allocated based on connectivity.
    • Each T-1 connection is $1,000 per month.
    • A 10 Mbps connection is $1,050 per month.
    • A 100 Mbps connection is $1,600 per month.
    • A 1 Gbps connection is $2,050 per month.
    • A SMON connection is $2,300 per month.

From there, to use the central service model, OFM has to convert the calculations above into an allocation. So OFM took each agency’s total charge (network core + connectivity = total) and divided it by the total expenditure authority for the network.

OFM uses the agency allocation percentages to spread the entire cost of the network and all its associated cost increases/decreases; OFM's calculations no longer separate the costs by core/transport or by individual per-connection cost. OFM only used the percentage generated by the data from the bullets above.

What is included in this Allocation?

WaTech Network Services delivers the networking infrastructure and technology that provides state agencies and other authorized customers:

  1. Network Core Services: The network segment located at the State Data Center and WaTech's use of the Quincy Data Center. Read more at the Network Core page.
  2. Transport and Connectivity Services: WaTech manages the data transported within the states Wide Area Network (WAN) and competitively acquires large amounts of bandwidth, driving down costs while boosting speed and capacity. Read more at the Transport and Connectivity page.
  3. Managed Firewall Services: Firewalls protect your network from unauthorized access and malicious attacks. Firewalls are the critical gateway into a network, and firewalls managed by WaTech come with the highest degree of attention and expertise to protect critical agency assets and provide peace of mind. Read more at the Managed Firewall page.
  4. Domain Naming Services (DNS): Manage distributed database that translates domain names such as 'google.com' (which is easier to remember) into its unique four-part Internet Protocol (IP) address (74.125.224.72).
  5. Logging and Monitoring Services (SIEM): The Logging & Monitoring service provides a Security Information Event Management (SIEM) platform for use in monitoring targeted network, systems, applications, and security log sources to enable reporting and alerts on abnormal traffic detection in near real-time. Read more at the Logging and Monitoring page.

Read more at the Network page.

What is not included in this Allocation

  1. Network Core Services:
    1. Customers receive five network segments (Virtual Routing and Forwarding tables (VRFs)). Additional services can be purchased through the fee for service offerings.
    2. Customer network segments used for cloud services.
    3. Customer access to WaTech’s internal management tools, appliances, and software.
  2. Transport and Connectivity:
    1. Non Recurring Costs (NRC) exceeding a set amount. If you have questions about NRC, please Email the WaTech Support Center or call 855.WaTech1 or 360.586.1000 and ask to open a service request for Network services.
    2. Termination Liability for circuits canceled by customer before the end of the requested term
    3. Non-standard/exceptional (one-off) costs
    4. Purchase and maintenance of Customer Edge (CE) devices
    5. Funding multiple circuits to one site/customer (Example, Transport & Connectivity Services for Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity purposes)
  3. Managed Firewall Services:
    1. Customers receive three firewalls. Additional firewalls can be purchased through the fee for service offerings.
    2. Customer firewalls used for cloud services.

How is this Allocation Governed?

WaTech recommends the allocation methodology for this allocation, and OFM builds the calculations into the Central Services Model. The Legislature provides final approval through the enacted budget.

Leveraging this Allocation

Customers can further leverage this allocation by continuing to move their equipment into the State Data Center or the Quincy Data Center utilizing WaTech Colocation service offerings. Additionally, customers can continue using and moving to WaTech’s Transport and Connectivity and Managed Firewall, DNS, and SIEM services.

Billing Information

The naming convention for this allocation will be “Allocation – State Data Network (EL L080)”.