Microsoft Office 365’s unwavering commitment to regulatory compliance is a cornerstone of its reliability and trustworthiness.
Government entities and their contractors have a mountain of security regulations to follow to protect our nation’s critical data. These regulations constantly change to keep up with the continually evolving threat landscape.
Microsoft is ahead of the game, as always! Microsoft 365 crafted Government Community Cloud (GCC) High to meet the stringent security requirements of the Department of Defense (DOD) and assure the highest level of security. With the Cyber Maturity Model Certificate (CMMC) implementation date just around the corner, DoD contractors might wonder whether their current Microsoft 365 setup will suffice or need to upgrade to GCC High.
At ECF Data, we stand by our clients, guiding them through the complex landscape of CMMC preparation. For many who rely on Microsoft 365, we ensure their cloud resources are not just secure, but also fully compliant.
This article will discuss Microsoft 365 GCC High licensing and its comparison with other government licensing options.
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What is Microsoft 365 GCC High?
GCC and GCC High are unique Azure cloud services and Microsoft 365 versions. They assist in meeting federal government information and cybersecurity regulations. They are perfect for government agencies and private groups that must comply with rules like CMMC, FedRAMP High, DFARS 7012, ITAR (International Traffic in Arms Regulations), or CJIS Policy.
Is Microsoft 365 GCC High different from GCC?
GCC and GCC High are part of the MS365 US Government but differ in compliance levels. GCC uses commercial data centers and global support, meaning data processing happens outside the U.S., and non-U.S. personnel may access data. GCC High, designed for Defense Industrial Base (DIB) needs, uses dedicated U.S. data centers, and is supported only by cleared U.S. personnel. It guarantees that all data stays within the U.S. and only U.S. persons can access it.
GCC High, designed for Defense Industrial Base (DIB) needs, uses dedicated U.S. data centers, and is supported only by cleared U.S. personnel. It guarantees that all data stays within the U.S. and only U.S. persons can access it.
Benefits of Microsoft 365 GCC High
Let’s delve into the unique benefits of Microsoft 365 High, a product that stands out in its management, sharing, assurance, and compliance features.
· Management: Unlike the GCC High environment, some features in Microsoft 365 GCC need to be turned off and kept off to comply with DFARS 7012, NIST 800-171, and CMMC.
· Sharing: GCC High makes sharing customer data with other DoDs, users, and organizations easy and secure.
· Assurance: Microsoft ensures its infrastructure fully complies with DoD standards, providing essential support for CMMC adherence.
· Compliance: GCC High is the only cloud solution that guarantees only U.S. citizens can access your data, implemented if your company handles any data subject to ITAR.
Comparing Microsoft 365 Licenses
Microsoft 365 GCC and similar services offer various licensing plans designed to meet the specific needs of government agencies and their partners. Here is a list of several key license models, though Microsoft provides numerous add-ons for enhanced security, compliance, and additional features.
Microsoft 365 GCC High and DoD
DoD and Microsoft 365 GCC High licensing is designed for U.S. federal agencies and partners working with the Department of Defense. It offers all the features of the Enterprise plans and meets extra regulations and standards like FedRAMP and DoD Impact Levels 4 and 5, ensuring top-level security and compliance.
Microsoft 365 GCC Enterprise G3
It is perfect for government agencies with more complex needs. It offers all the notable features of the GCC Enterprise plan, plus extras like advanced threat protection, information protection, and compliance management, ensuring top-notch productivity, security, and compliance.
Microsoft 365 GCC Enterprise G5
Microsoft 365 GCC Enterprise G5 is the ultimate plan in the Microsoft 365 GCC lineup, perfect for government agencies with the highest security and compliance needs. It includes everything in the E3 plan, plus advanced security features like threat intelligence, eDiscovery, and advanced data governance.
Office 365 Government G3
Office 365 Government G3 offers essential productivity and collaboration tools for government agencies, like Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, Teams, and Office apps (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.). It provides basic security and compliance features for agencies with standard security needs. This plan focuses on delivering core productivity apps and collaboration tools at a lower price.
Contact our teams for an accurate cost estimate if you are interested in Microsoft 365 Government pricing and add-ons.
· Data Processing: AI applications, especially those involving machine learning and deep learning, require vast amounts of data to be processed. High computing power enables quicker data processing, making it possible to analyze large datasets efficiently.
· Complex Algorithms: AI relies on complex algorithms that demand significant computational resources. Powerful processors and GPUs can handle these intensive computations, enabling more accurate and faster results.
· Training Models: Training AI models, particularly deep learning models, involve numerous iterations and computations. High computing power reduces the time required for training. It also allows for more experiments and fine-tuning, which leads to better-performing models.
· Real-Time Processing: Many AI applications, such as autonomous vehicles, natural language processing, and real-time recommendations, must process data in real-time. Sufficient computing power ensures these applications can operate smoothly and respond quickly.
· Scalability: As AI models become more complex and data volumes grow, scalable computing resources are essential to maintain performance. Cloud-based computing power allows organizations to scale their AI applications up or down based on demand.
· Energy Efficiency: Advanced computing power can also lead to more energy-efficient processing. Modern processors and specialized hardware like GPUs and TPUs perform AI tasks more efficiently, reducing energy consumption compared to less powerful systems.
Overall, computing power is the backbone of practical AI applications, enabling them to process data, run algorithms, train models, and deliver real-time results efficiently and accurately.
Azure Compute Services
Azure Compute Services are essential cloud tools that let you deploy and manage workloads on Microsoft Azure. They provide the infrastructure, tools, and platforms needed for computing and storage and are the foundation for any cloud solution.
These services harness the power of the Microsoft Azure portal to offer scalable, secure, reliable, and cost-effective cloud computing. They make deploying and managing applications and workloads in the cloud easy.
Some popular Azure Compute Services include:
· Azure Virtual Machines
· Azure Container Instances
· Azure App Service
· Azure Functions (serverless computing)
· Networking
· Database services
· Azure Kubernetes Services (AKS)
Elevate Your AI Strategy with ECF Data’s Azure Expertise
In conclusion, Azure AI is a powerful suite of AI-driven tools and services designed to empower businesses with innovative AI capabilities. With Azure AI, companies can develop intelligent applications, harness big data, and create personalized customer experiences. The platform offers customizable models and pre-built AI solutions for quick and efficient application deployment.
ECF Data is a proud Microsoft Solutions partner. We provide a wide range of Azure AI solutions tailored to businesses of all sizes. Our team of experts can help you select the right tools and services to meet your specific needs, explain Azure AI pricing, develop custom AI solutions, and seamlessly integrate Azure AI into your existing systems. We also offer ongoing support to ensure your AI applications perform optimally.
Taking the Next Step
If you want to dive deeper into the latest CMMC requirements and GCC High, check out our previous blog posts:
If you are considering purchasing GCC High and GCC, partnering with ECF Data is the best choice. The ultimate decision is to acquire GCC High and GCC together in a partnership with ECF Data. Our Team will simplify certification as a trusted Microsoft Gold and an Agreement for Online Services Government (A-OSG) Partner.
The AOS-G program, or Microsoft AOS-G program, allows government and commercial organizations to buy fewer than 500 licenses for Microsoft GCC High through authorized partners. Before this program, contractors needed to sign an Enterprise Agreement (E.A.) with Microsoft to access Microsoft 365 GCC High.
Contact our Team to discuss the procurement of GCC High or GCC. As experts in the field, we can help you choose the best cloud configuration for your organization and assist with provisioning and migration.
The benefits of having ECF Data as part of your Team:
1. Expertise in the Microsoft cloud platform to tailor solutions to your needs.
2. We have an outstanding track record of successfully helping organizations transition smoothly to cloud configuration.
3. Various support services to maximize your cloud investment.
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