Microsoft Launches Blockchain for Azure Government

| Updated
by Andy Watson · 3 min read
Microsoft Launches Blockchain for Azure Government
Photo: Officesnapshots

The government agencies will have an access to the blockchain technology in the Microsoft’s Azure Government cloud platform to keep their data safe.

More and more government agencies are considering and using the possibility to implement cloud computing with the aim to provide their sensitive data being kept in a safety.

While being the part of a group of major banks and tech companies which joined to develop a financial technology based on the digital currency network Ethereum, Microsoft decided to take a side of government agencies. And has disclosed certain updates to the current cloud service at its Government Cloud Forum.

The story of the cloud platform was initiated by IBM when it announced a blockchain-based platform for seven prominent European banks.  Then Mircosoft stepped up not to be behind and announced its software framework based on the blockchain technology. Oracle has done it not long ago.

In August, 2017 Microsoft has also announced it launches the new Coco Framework based on the blockchain technology to create a network of trusted enclaves to arrange tackle throughput, latency, governance and confidentiality issues.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Azure is a cloud computing platform by Microsoft developed in order to create, bring into play, and control applications and services via a global network of Microsoft-managed datacenters. Having created in 2015, now Microsoft Azure is able to provide some tools available not only for the certain users of the private cloud services, as it was earlier.

In 2011, all government agencies were ordered by the Obama administration to think cloud-first when updating their technology infrastructure. This initiative was continued by the new government headed by Trump as well. But thanks to irrepressible Microsoft being in good relationships with government agencies, the existing state of the deals has gained a different character.

The new service presented is called Azure Government Secret and it’s launched to make cloud computing more available for the government agencies. It enables two parties to carry out secures transactions through a shared ledger without any database break.

“Today we’re launching Blockchain for Azure Government, which will support a wide array of our Azure blockchain and distributed ledger marketplace solutions,” writes Tom Keane, Head of Global Infrastructure at Microsoft Azure, at the company’s official blog. “These solutions automate the deployment and configuration of blockchain infrastructure across multiple organizations, allowing our customers to focus on government transformation and application development.”

Head of Global Infrastructure Microsoft Azure, Tom Keane states: “Customers of Azure Government Secret will gain access to new technologies at scale and pace of innovation they’d experience in a commercial environment”.

In particular, six of Microsoft’s data centers have become “isolated” and given temporary “Level 5” permission by the Defense Department.This opens for the government agencies new opportunities – to use blockchain tech for licensing services, voter records, or tax management.

Microsoft also plans to launch other services for government customers early in the new year. Among them are Enterprise Mobilty and Security software, Microsoft 365, the new package of Windows 10, and Office 365. Microsoft Teams will keep in touch with the government users around that time.

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