Page updated 10/31/2024

Allocation goal/methodology

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

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 the number of full-time employees (FTEs).
• Annual costs to provide data transport support, which was allocated based on connectivity:
  • Each T-1 connection
  • A 10 Mbps connection
  • A 100 Mbps connection
  • A 1 Gbps connection
  • An SMON connection

From there, to use the central service model the Office of Financial Management (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 with the following services:

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 state’s 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): This manages the 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).

Read more on our 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 Security information and event management (SIEM) services.

Billing information

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