Request ID: FOI-0538-2324 Date published: 08 June 2023
You asked
Dear Transport for London,
O365 Licencing Questions:-
a.- Which Microsoft O365 do you use eg E3,E5?
b.- Do you use the NHS-shared O365 tenant?
c.- Do you procure O365 licences through Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) or Cloud Service Provider (CSP). Who is your supplier?
d.- When is your licencing renewal date/anniversary for these services?
Microsoft Telephony Questions
e.- Do you have Microsoft Calling Plans, if so how many licences (users)
f.- Do you have other forms of Microsoft Telephony such as Direct routing/Operator connect? How many licences (users) and which supplier?
g.- When is your licencing renewal date/anniversary for these services?
We answered
TfL Ref: FOI-0538-2324
Thank you for your request received by Transport for London (TfL) on 22nd May 2023 asking for information about Microsoft licencing at TfL. Your request has been considered in accordance with the requirements of the Freedom of Information Act and our information access policy.
I can confirm that we hold the information you require. Your questions are answered in turn below:
O365 Licencing Questions:-
Question a.- Which Microsoft O365 do you use eg E3,E5?
And;
Question b.- Do you use the NHS-shared O365 tenant?
Answer: The requested information is exempt from release under section 31 of the Freedom of Information Act, which relates to information whose disclosure would be likely to prejudice theprevention or detection of crime. This reflects the fact that release of information under the Freedom of Information Act is considered to be to the public at large, rather than the individual applicant. Therefore TfL must consider how any potential recipient of the information might use it, rather than the person directly asking for it. In this instance the exemption has been applied as disclosure of the information you have requested would pose a threat to our cyber security and, consequently, to the prevention or detection of crime as it would assist a third party to mount an attack on our IT systems.
The London transport system is a critical piece of national infrastructure and as such we employ rigorous safeguards to protect it from cyber attack. Like other organisations we are subject to these regularly. These attacks are unlawful under the Computer Misuse Act, and whilst the motive is not always apparent, we are aware of the risk to critical national infrastructure that may result from a successful attack. We consider that releasing the information you have asked for would be likely to prejudice our efforts to prevent and detect future attacks and undermine our ability to safeguard our information systems.
The use of this exemption is subject to an assessment of the Public Interest Test, to determine whether the overall balance of public interest rests in the exemption applying and the information being withheld, or in releasing it in any event. We recognise the need for openness and transparency by public authorities, and the fact you have requested the information is in itself an argument in favour of release. However, in this instance we consider that there is greater public interest in safeguarding our information systems and to ensure that cyber attacks, or any other criminal activity, is prevented wherever possible. Question c.- Do you procure O365 licences through Microsoft Enterprise Agreement (EA) or Cloud Service Provider (CSP). Who is your supplier?
Answer: TfL have an Enterprise Agreement with Microsoft, within which we purchase licences via a licence service provider.
Question d.- When is your licencing renewal date/anniversary for these services?
Answer: The anniversary of the current agreement is in December.
Microsoft Telephony Questions
Question e.- Do you have Microsoft Calling Plans, if so how many licences (users)
Answer: We have Audio Conferencing which is tied to our E3, with 453 licenses assigned to users. We have 2000 Phone System licenses, of which none are used at present.
Question f.- Do you have other forms of Microsoft Telephony such as Direct routing/Operator connect? How many licences (users) and which supplier?
Answer: We are currently installing Direct Routing, which is what the 2000 licenses referenced above will be for.
Question g.- When is your licencing renewal date/anniversary for these services?
Answer: Every November.
If this is not the information you are looking for, or if you are unable to access it for any reason, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Please see the attached information sheet for details of your right to appeal as well as information on copyright and what to do if you would like to re-use any of the information we have disclosed.
Yours sincerely,
David Wells FOI Case Officer FOI Case Management Team General Counsel Transport for London
