The proportion of government IT that today resides in the cloud may not have been all we thought when the technology was adopted but the recent news just proves the proportion of government cloud implementations is gaining much pace and growing by many folds. The pace of future implementations is likely to accelerate quickly. My statement comes in the backdrop of partnership made between the US Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) and Microsoft Cloud technology. Yes, US Department of Defence (DoD) has made an agreement with Microsoft Cloud for Government solutions to meet collaboration, compliance and security demands.
Microsoft Commercial Cloud Contract with DOD
The United States Air Force is one of largest departments within the Department of Defense (DoD) that requires instant access to secure email and other capabilities that enable real-time conversations to curb threats at a moment’s notice and Microsoft happens to be the only service capable of offering secure cloud technology and all the necessary requirements to help service members fulfill their mission.
It is the only major cloud platform contractually committed to meeting CJIS requirements for federal, state, and local governments. Hence, the two establishments have joined hands to forge a strong partnership.
The agreement is touted as one of the largest commercial cloud contracts in DoD history. As part of the deployment, which will begin in the next government fiscal year, the Air Force will be granted access to secure e-mail, calendaring, Office Web Applications, Skype for Business, and other important collaboration tools, helping the agency communicate more easily across active, civilian, and reserve personnel and move toward a consolidated mobile and messaging platform.
Microsoft’s cutting-edge technology will be specifically designed for the department to provide it agile capabilities and real-time access to data thereby, helping it constantly enhance its decision-making skills and daily operations.
