Microsoft looks for competitive edge with launch of Dynamics CRM Online for US Government

US Treasury building, Washington, D.C. | Source 

Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online for the US Government is now generally available, according to Kirill Tatarinov, executive vice president of the Microsoft Business Solutions Group.

"Today's announcement is a significant step in our journey to provide government customers the same functionality that millions of businesses now enjoy - delivered as a service from a secure, government community cloud," said Tatarinov.

First announced in July, the new Dynamics CRM Online for the US Government will be a separate instance for government customers that will support cloud and hybrid scenarios like integration with the Azure and Office 365 government community clouds, according to company officials. It is designed for FedRAMP compliance.

FedRAMP, or Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program, is a government-wide program that provides a standardized approach to security assessment, authorization, and continuous monitoring for cloud products and services. While complying with these guidelines, federal agencies are also expected to pursue a cloud-first strategy.

Dynamics CRM Online for the US Government meets compliance standards, but it is also aimed at boosting Microsoft's competitive position among the small pool of technology companies competing in the highly regulated but lucrative federal IT space.

"This is a good move for Microsoft. It's positioning Microsoft against every major vendor like Salesforce and Oracle," said CRM ...