Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cloud
    • Cloud

    Microsoft Wins Defense Department Contract for IT Consulting Services

    By
    Pedro Hernandez
    -
    December 22, 2016
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      Microsoft Defense Contract 2

      The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has awarded Microsoft a five-year contract worth $937 million for technical support and consulting service, the Pentagon announced on Dec. 20.

      Under the terms of the agreement, Microsoft will provide the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) with Microsoft Enterprise Technical Support Services from so-called “Blue Badges,” which are staff members on the company’s payroll rather than contract workers.

      Contrary to what the DoD’s bulletin originally indicated, Microsoft won’t give the Defense Department access to its proprietary source code.

      “The Department of Defense does not, and will not, have access to Microsoft’s proprietary source codes,” said a DoD spokesperson in a statement sent to eWEEK on Dec. 22. “The METSS-II contract is a sole-source follow-on contract to continue and leverage Microsoft support services.”

      “The core requirements are for the contractor to provide Microsoft consulting services that include software developers and product teams to leverage a variety of proprietary resources and source code, and Microsoft premier support services such as tools and knowledge bases, problem resolution assistance from product developers, and access to Microsoft source code when applicable to support Department of Defense’s mission.”

      Microsoft will be required to provide these services in the continental U.S., but provisions exist for the Redmond, Wash. to assist overseas as required.

      Surprising no one, the DoD isn’t sharing the particulars about the kind of projects Microsoft will work on under the contract. Nonetheless, Microsoft’s recent focus on high-security, government-grade cloud services offers some clues as to what the Pentagon is seeking from the “cloud-first” company.

      In October, the company drew up blueprints enabling Azure Government customers to quickly deploy cloud services that adhere to the federal government’s strict data security standards.

      By supplying FedRAMP (Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program) Moderate baseline Customer Responsibility Matrix and System Security Plan template, the company is making it easier for U.S. government agencies to roll out what are supposed to be secure, hacker-resistant software services. Azure Government data centers are protected by multiple layers of both physical and software security and are also physically isolated from Microsoft’s public and commercial cloud.

      In October, the company announced that two new cloud regions in Arizona and Texas would join the Azure Government cloud’s existing data centers in Virginia and Iowa, providing government agencies in the Southwest and South Central areas of the U.S. with fast, lower-latency cloud connectivity. Microsoft operates Azure Government from a total of six dedicated regions.

      The company also announced a Department of Defense-specific version of Office 365, delivering secure access to Office software for DoD personnel and military branches. “Combined with dedicated Government ExpressRoute options, Microsoft offers government agencies broad choice of where they host their data and where they connect directly to Microsoft’s infrastructure,” said Jason Zander, corporate vice president of Microsoft Azure, in an Oct. 18 statement.

      ExpressRoute is a cloud-connectivity solution offered by Microsoft and its data center operator and network services provider partners that bypasses the public internet. It offers customers direct, private and secure access to Azure, which bypasses the public internet and thereby makes it difficult for hackers to snoop on data as it makes its way to and from Microsoft’s cloud.

      Pedro Hernandez
      Pedro Hernandez is a contributor to eWEEK and the IT Business Edge Network, the network for technology professionals. Previously, he served as a managing editor for the Internet.com network of IT-related websites and as the Green IT curator for GigaOM Pro.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×