X-Lab

The Challenge

• X-Lab had an incumbent HSCN connection that was consistently hitting bandwidth limits

• A new direct HSCN connection wasn’t a viable option due to urgent time constraints and high costs

• X-Lab needed to scale connectivity to the HSCN in line with increasing

X-Lab had identified the need to improve the flow of diagnostic information between labs via their core product, Labgnostic (or NPEx in the UK). The process for a lab to send a test to another lab was extremely manual, involving paper-based manifests which weren’t reliable. In order to solve this challenge, X-Lab designed a systems integration platform to digitise the process, improving the speed and accuracy of the lab to lab business model.

X-Lab had grown operations, working with a large proportion of English labs, a number of labs in Scotland, and also in Wales. Around 4000 transactions were being processed each day at the start of 2020 and the company had begun to look at international expansion. However, in March 2020 the UK found itself in the thick of the Covid-19 pandemic and X-Lab’s focus had to shift quickly, working with the Government to process large volumes of Covid tests as part of the national Track and Trace service.

In order to process the volume of Covid test data, X-Lab needed access to a number of different systems and services, whether over the internet or hosted in cloud environments, or across the Government’s private Health & Social Care Network (HSCN).

Crucially, X-Lab’s existing integration service, which was running on an incumbent HSCN connection, had been consistently hitting bandwidth allowance. In order to process the volume of tests which the track and trace pillars targeted, X-Lab needed to scale that bandwidth, fast, so as not to cause any delays to the programme. Having evaluated a number of options, X-Lab realised that a direct HSCN connection wasn’t viable in terms of urgent time constraints and high costs. A new perspective was needed.

The Solution

• Complete end-to-end connectivity from Cloud Gateway to connect the X-Lab platform, built in Azure, to the HSCN

• A new Health Connect tenant providing HSCN connectivity provisioned and onboarded in just 11 days from the first engagement

• Instantly scalable cloud to HSCN connectivity in line with increasing government targets using cloud-native technology

X-Lab was looking for a complete end-to-end connectivity solution to connect from its Microsoft Azure service to the Health and Social Care Network (HSCN), in order to access the systems needed to process Covid testing.

Working with X-Lab, Cloud Gateway was able to set up a working proof of concept within minutes, using its specially designed cloud-native platform, Health Connect. A new Health Connect tenant with HSCN connectivity was provisioned and onboarded in just 11 days from the first engagement with the X-Lab team. As a cloud- native provider, Cloud Gateway was able to provide the visibility, security and guidance needed in deploying the Health Connect platform.

As soon as the platform had been deployed, X-Lab was able to access the HSCN hosted systems and services at scale, to seamlessly integrate and process Covid tests efficiently.

The Impact

• X-Lab have been able to scale quickly to exceed Track and Trace demands

• HSCN connectivity can instantly scale in line with the Government testing targets as part of the Track and Trace pillars

• X-Lab can extend work with UK based labs as well as support international expansion for labs needing to send test data back to the UK

Since the deployment of the Health Connect tenant with HSCN connectivity, X-Lab has been able to scale rapidly, already processing more than 550,000 Covid tests per day to meet the demand of the population – and increasing rapidly in line with the UK Government’s Track and Trace daily targets for both Pillars 1 and 2, with flexible bandwidth scaling. While it has not yet been needed, X-Lab have the capability to process several million tests per day. Cloud Gateway’s platform is a critical part of the national infrastructure dealing with the fight against Covid-19. Alongside HSCN connectivity from Cloud Gateway’s cloud-native Health Connect platform, X-Lab is armed with a secure, future-proof solution and the flexibility to scale on-demand. Speed of deployment and a faster time to market means that X-Lab can support international expansion plans, extending work with UK based labs as well as expansion for labs needing to send test data back to the UK.

The Impact

• X-Lab have been able to scale quickly to exceed Track and Trace demands

• HSCN connectivity can instantly scale in line with the Government testing targets as part of the Track and Trace pillars

• X-Lab can extend work with UK based labs as well as support international expansion for labs needing to send test data back to the UK

Since the deployment of the Health Connect tenant with HSCN connectivity, X-Lab has been able to scale rapidly, already processing more than 550,000 Covid tests per day to meet the demand of the population – and increasing rapidly in line with the UK Government’s Track and Trace daily targets for both Pillars 1 and 2, with flexible bandwidth scaling. While it has not yet been needed, X-Lab have the capability to process several million tests per day. Cloud Gateway’s platform is a critical part of the national infrastructure dealing with the fight against Covid-19. Alongside HSCN connectivity from Cloud Gateway’s cloud-native Health Connect platform, X-Lab is armed with a secure, future-proof solution and the flexibility to scale on-demand. Speed of deployment and a faster time to market means that X-Lab can support international expansion plans, extending work with UK based labs as well as expansion for labs needing to send test data back to the UK.