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Why Your Governmental Organization Should Migrate to Microsoft Office 365 Government
Exploring the leading benefits of Office 365 for the government sector
Like all other modern organizations, governmental bodies are continually looking to technology to help them streamline operations and better serve their communities and constituents. Whether they need to better connect users, optimize data storage and security, or streamline operations, Cloud technology is driving technological innovation in the government sector.
Particularly, many governmental entities are migrating to Microsoft Office 365 Government. The platform has all the familiar favorites of Microsoft Office, with increased security and compliance considerations designed specifically for the government sector.
While many governmental bodies have been slow to consider Cloud technology – mainly because of security concerns – Office 365 Government is a secure and streamlining game-changer. Governmental organizations of all shapes and sizes stand to reap huge benefits from this familiar and dynamically secure platform.
In fact, we recently received a service request from a governmental organization looking to make the transition to Office 365 Government. The entity was about 200 employees strong and had just received eligibility approval from Microsoft. They wanted some general information on the cost and benefits of Office 365 Government for their organization.
Of course, we were happy to help. But it got us thinking that we should create a brief guide that outlines the basic features and benefits of Office 365 Government. Below you’ll find all the basics you need to know if your governmental organization is considering a transition to Office 365.
Compliance Coverage: Microsoft Office 365 and US Government Standards
This is a question we get all the time. If government entities want to use Office 365, why can’t they just use the Enterprise version? The fact of the matter is, all federal, state, and local government bodies who hold and export controlled, unclassified information of any kind are regulated by a variety of institutions. In order to protect sensitive government data and regulate its transmission, Office 365 Government offers a fully compliant platform with a robust feature set.
Office 365 Government allows governmental agencies to remain fully compliant by providing:
- The ability to store content securely in the continental United States
- Tools to streamline agency authorizations with third-party security assessments
- Support for FedRAMP moderate & high-impact government data
- Tools to secure defense information and export-controlled data
- Tools to secure criminal justice and federal tax data
- Tools to secure protected health information and HIPAA compliance
- Support for Section 508 compliance
Intelligent & Intuitive: Layered Security in Office 365 Government
It’s no surprise that with strong regulatory compliance tools, comes strong cybersecurity tools. Office 365 Government offers a dynamically secure platform that government agencies can rely on. With a variety of intuitive and multi-layered security tools, Office 365 Government users can rest assured that all collected, stored, and transmitted data remains secure.
Office 365 for Government offers a huge variety of network security tools including:
- Identity and access management functions with multi-factor authentication, including PIV/CAC support
- Special protections for information with special classifications, policies, and rights management features.
- Dynamic protections for URLs and attachments
- Ability to manage security based on specific content, applications, devices or network connections.
Productive Powerhouse: Teamwork & Efficiency Made Easy with Office 365 Government
Moving beyond compliance and security, productive efficiency and seamless teamwork are a close second on the priority list for governmental bodies. Government agencies often have huge teams, with multiple departments and lots of moving pieces. This means that connection and communication with team members need to be streamlined and optimized. Luckily, Office 365 Government offers these capabilities and more.
Office 365 Government offers a variety of tools for optimizing teamwork and productivity including:
- Seamless sharing of emails and calendars in Exchange
- Streamlined connection with people, content, and apps in SharePoint
- Easy-to-use voice, video, and chat capabilities in Skype
- Efficient and easy data access, storage, and sharing capabilities in OneDrive
- Dynamic co-authoring capabilities in ProPlus
Integrated Implementation: Simplicity and Centralization with Office 365 Government
Finally, government professionals are probably wondering: Office 365 Government sounds great, but how will the implementation and management go? We get it. Government agencies are busy entities with large teams and a transition to a new technology platform can be daunting. However, Office 365 Government – in all its familiarity and ease-of-use – is guaranteed to provide a smooth and streamlined migration, no matter your deployment needs.
Office 365 Government works to ensure streamlined implementation & management by:
- Minimizing TCO across deployment, management, and servicing.
- Reducing data center footprints thanks to dynamic Cloud infrastructure.
- Offering broad support for PC, Mac, iOS, and Android operating systems.
- Offering customized and tiered pricing models to suit any agency’s needs.
- Allowing for the comprehensive and centralized management of your entire workforce.
Calling in The Pros: Finding Administrative Support for Office 365 Government
Regardless of the size, nature, or scope of your governmental agency, a move to Office 365 Government could make all the difference in your team’s operational effort. Office 365 Government allows for increased compliance and security, optimized productivity, and streamlined integration and management. For your organization, that translates as productive and happy team members working in a secure environment.
However, even with all the benefits laid out, some government agencies are likely still looking for guidance and consultation. After all, when making the transition to a new tech platform, having some professional insight in your corner can go a long way. When looking for Office 365 Government support, be sure to select an IT consultant who has experience working in the governmental sector.
Reach out to different IT professionals and get some one-on-one consultation. Speaking with a professional IT consultant before making your transition to Office 365 Government can help you uncover optimization and implementation strategies that you may not have thought of. Overall, the right IT consultant will help you select and implement the best version of Office 365 Government for your organization. Even better? You’ll have them in your corner for continued support and guidance through the transition.
Did you find this article informative? As always, we’re happy to help! If you liked this, check out these other articles we think you’ll love:
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