Microsoft has released a new wave of enterprise cloud solutions, some of which are aimed at meeting new federal security requirements. Last week, Microsoft announced it was granted FedRAMP authorization from the the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board (JAB) Provisional Authority to Operate (P-ATO). Windows Azure is the first public cloud platform, with infrastructure services and platform services, to receive a JAB P-ATO. On the heels of that the company rolled out several updates to its enterprise cloud services platform.
Aimed at public sector, the company has launched the Windows Azure U.S. Government Cloud which is a community cloud available for U.S. state, local, and federal government agencies hosted in Microsoft datacenters located in the U.S. and managed by U.S. citizens. Microsoft is working with Lockheed Martin on its government cloud offering to ensure that it meets all public sector security and data requirements.
To that end the company is also marking two data centers specifically for its government cloud in order to physically and logistically separate government cloud infrastructure from any public non-government cloud also offered by Microsoft. The two data centers will be located in Boydton, VA and Des Moines, IA.
Microsoft is also releasing new solutions to facilitate bring-your-own-device programs inside organizations. Windows Intune, combines with System Center Configuration Manager to help IT departments give mobile employees security-enhanced access to the applications and data they need on the Windows, iOS and Android devices of their choice.
The next major version of the company’s CRM solution, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online Fall ’13 will also be available later this month.
