Microsoft signs Azure / Office 365 deal with US intelligence agencies as huge Pentagon contract decision looms

Microsoft announced today that both it has entered a deal with the US Intelligence Community worth millions of dollars over six years. Under the agreement, the Intelligence community will use Microsoft’s products, like Office 365 for US Government and Azure Government, via a Joint Enterprise Licensing Agreement awarded to Dell Inc.

The company already had an ongoing relationship with government agencies, but this latest deal brings 17 more US Intelligence agencies on board with a digital transformation. With a Pentagon contract decision looming, Microsoft says the deal also “bolsters” the company’s position as the leading government cloud provider. The company explains:

This new agreement provides the IC with a vehicle for accessing the latest Microsoft technologies to further empower its agencies, optimize operations and modernize infrastructure. This agreement positions Microsoft to help the IC achieve its mission at home and around the world with a trusted cloud and modern workplace solution that keeps critical data secure, while delivering advanced capabilities including artificial intelligence, machine learning and large-scale data analysis.

Office 365 for US Government and Azure Government are built to fit the government’s strict security requirements. There are eight geographically distributed Azure Government data centers, and they all host no commercial data. Learn more by checking here.