Enterprise Security & Compliance
Dedicated instances. Zero data co-mingling.
Engineered for Higher Education IT governance, university DPOs, and college procurement teams. Every Oaks institution runs on its own dedicated instance with sovereign UK hosting, sign-in that asks for a second factor, and full public sector procurement compliance.
True isolation
Why universities insist on single-tenant architecture.
Legacy apprenticeship systems pool thousands of colleges and providers into shared multi-tenant database clusters. One bad query or permission slip can compromise learner records. Oaks architecturally eliminates this risk.
Shared Multi-Tenant Clustered Database
- Learner PII from hundreds of competing providers stored in shared tables.
- "Noisy neighbour" performance degradation during peak monthly ILR deadlines.
- Updates forced across all customers simultaneously with no institutional change control.
Dedicated Single-Tenant Instance
- 100% isolated database instance per university or college. Zero data co-mingling.
- Dedicated compute resources: lightning fast queries unaffected by external providers.
- Full data sovereignty: automated daily backups retained strictly within sovereign UK boundaries.
Rigorous defense
Security credentials that satisfy your information governance team.
UK Sovereign Cloud
Data centres located exclusively in London and Slough. Zero data transfers outside the UK or European Economic Area. Full alignment with UK GDPR and DPA 2018.
Sign-in and a second factor
Email and password sign-in uses an authenticator app. People can add a passkey, or an email code as a backup. Where Microsoft 365 is connected, they can sign in with a Microsoft account from that organisation’s tenant, and an authenticator that is already on still asks for its code.
G-Cloud 14 Procurement
Available on Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 14 framework, pre-cleared for direct call-off and rapid public sector contract execution.
Encryption Everywhere
AES-256 encryption at rest for all database clusters and stored learner files. TLS 1.3 encryption in transit with strict HSTS security headers.
Oaks DNA Safeguarding
Integrated device safeguarding platform for apprentices, with encrypted incident records, designated safeguarding lead (DSL) triage, and full audit chains.
Audited Backups & RPO/RTO
Automated snapshot backups with point-in-time recovery, sub-15-minute Recovery Point Objective (RPO), and geographically redundant failovers.
FAQ
Security, Governance & Procurement FAQ
How does Oaks ensure single-tenant data isolation?
Unlike OneFile and Bud where thousands of organisations share multi-tenant database clusters, every Oaks client is deployed onto their own dedicated, single-tenant instance and database. There is zero co-mingling of learner PII, employer contracts, or evidence.
Where is our institutional and apprentice data hosted?
100% of data is stored and processed in sovereign UK data centres (London / Slough) in compliance with UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. All data is encrypted at rest using AES-256 and in transit using TLS 1.3.
How do people sign in to Oaks?
Each organisation has its own instance. People who sign in with email and a password set up an authenticator app, and can add a passkey or an email code as a backup. Where the Microsoft 365 connection is switched on, they can sign in with a Microsoft account from that organisation’s tenant. If an authenticator app is already switched on, that sign-in still asks for the code.
Can public universities and FE colleges procure Oaks via G-Cloud?
Yes. Oaks is available for public sector procurement under Crown Commercial Service G-Cloud 14, as well as direct award frameworks compliant with the Public Contracts Regulations 2015.
Direct Access & Walkthrough
See your own instance grow.
A tailored walkthrough or direct inquiry with our engineering and implementation leads. Honest about what is live, transparent on pricing, and responsive within 24 hours.
- Dedicated instance for every provider — zero shared database risk
- Thirty minutes on your own standards, KSBs and tripartite workflows
- Tender, PQQ and G-Cloud procurement specifications answered directly
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