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Microsoft has secured approval from a federal government body to offer Windows Azure for agencies to build and manage applications in a cloud computing infrastructure.
The FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board gave Windows Azure a provisional authority-to-operate certificate under the government-wide FedRAMP program, Microsoft said Monday.
Susie Adams, chief technology officer for Microsoft Federal, said the company will work to help government customers comply with security requirements through its network of global data centers.
“This is the highest level of FedRAMP ATO available, and it is a great honor for Microsoft to receive this certification,” Adams said.
“With the June 2014 FedRAMP security requirements deadline rapidly approaching, it is paramount for cloud service providers and agencies to get compliant ATOs in place,” said Matt Goodrich, FedRAMP program manager at the General Services Administration.
Azure is the first platform for public cloud to receive the P-ATO authorization, Microsoft said.
