In a tender notice published this week, the authority is inviting bids from software and services suppliers to create a virtual analytics platform, acquire a metadata management product and data discovery solutions for compliance purposes.
The authority said it stores around 100TB of unstructured data alongside a further 60TB of structured data that it wants to make better use of.
The tender notice asks for a “suitable data virtualisation software solution into the Police Scotland in-house ICT environment to allow a single view of all available data to all authorised users.”
Once installed in-house, the plan is to migrate the system to the cloud in the fullness of time. The tender requests a “discretionary transition to cloud model during contract term.”
“The solution shall be deployed, initially, on-premise, but deployable, in part or in whole, on a private or public hosted cloud environment at a later date,” the tender says.
“Metadata will provide a means of understanding the breadth and type of information available across the service, its quality, and relevance thereby enabling self-service by providing the right data context for users,” it said.
The Scottish Police Authority is also looking for a compliance solution for GDPR and to address other data legislation.
The tender is divided into three lots related to each strand of activity. The initial contract will be let for four years with the option to extend the contract for a further three periods of up to a year each.
