IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Microsoft Announces Windows Azure Government Cloud

The new cloud service will be hosted in the continental U.S. and has been granted FedRAMP provisional authority to operate.

Microsoft is expected to launch a new government cloud offering through its Windows Azure platform, according to a Monday, Oct. 7 announcement.

While the new dedicated government community cloud does not have an official launch date yet, once available, it will exclusively host data storage, applications and infrastructure for federal, state, local and tribal governments. Everything stored in the Windows Azure U.S. Government Cloud will be hosted in the continental U.S. and managed by screened U.S. citizens or legal foreign residents, according to Susie Adams, CTO of federal government business for Microsoft.

“Windows Azure really is not just for example, an infrastructure-as-a-service offering,” Adams said. “It’s actually a very well-rounded cloud platform that covers both infrastructure and platform as a service.”
Windows Azure has been granted FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board Provisional Authority to Operate, a status that Microsoft claimed no other public cloud has achieved.

Nearly two years ago, Microsoft launched a government community cloud for the Office 365 cloud service. The offering encompasses cloud support for its suite of applications like Exchange, email, calendaring and SharePoint. 

Sarah Rich is a former staff writer for Government Technology.