By Kevin Zawodzinski

As I hope you’ve seen by now, today we announced Commvault has achieved “High Ready” status from the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) for our Metallic Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) portfolio and Metallic Cloud Storage Service (MCSS) offerings, and introduced our new Metallic Government Cloud offerings for federal agencies. As the only SaaS data protection solution to currently meet FedRAMP High In Process – In PMO Review standards – we are thrilled to be able to bring the gold standard in SaaS-delivered data protection to federal customers by meeting the most stringent protocols set forth by the US government.

I’m happy to say that the days of unending wait times in front of government offices to obtain services might be coming to an end. Government agencies responsible for regional, state, or local services are slowly following the pathways of private companies by focusing on migrating to the cloud to offer robust citizen services to “customers.”

OurFedRAMP High In Process – In PMO Review status is a testament to Commvault’s and Metallic’s sharp focus on ensuring the highest security for all of our customers at a time when risk is at an all-time high – and while ransomware protection and data recoverability is critical for any industry – there is heightened urgency for our federal customers. Commvault is dedicated to providing our government agencies with the industry’s leading data management technology in the face of critical threats against unwanted access and data loss due to bad actors. And with cyberattacks on the rise – ransomware attacks, for example, are predicted to happen every 11 seconds in 2021 – it’s clear that government agencies need top technology to help mitigate the risk.

Commvault has always made security a priority, and this is just further proof of our commitment to lead the way for our customers across all sectors. As governmental agencies continue to drive digital transformation, SaaS data protection must be an integral part of this strategy. We’re thrilled to be able to bring the best of data protection and the best of SaaS together – to help our government customers have peace of mind as they reap the benefits of cloud adoption.

So, what are those benefits? Let’s first talk procurement of technology solutions, as it’s a big problem within the Public Sector. Often bogged down by red tape and budget cycles, buying industry-leading data protection technologies to keep governmental data safe from loss, attack, or deletion is a thankless and difficult job. But there are ways to make the transition smoother.

Importance of investing in the right solution. The migration to cloud computing is definitely the logical next step for forward-looking government agencies. This also means that the deluge of critical data that is being stored on the cloud has brought renewed focus on high-level security. Network breaches, ransomware, and other cyberattacks threaten everything from government operations to national security.

It all begins with how you make the purchase decision. In the government sector, sometimes the hardest challenge to overcome is figuring out how to make an IT purchase. With well-defined requirements and budget dollars in hand, the government buyer still faces that last, sometimes elusive hurdle of how to buy a solution from a contract perspective.

Metallic has been designed to address this exact concern – making the buying process as easy and flexible as possible for any customer to effortlessly, confidently, and securely migrate to the cloud. Our Metallic solutions are secure, and offered as enterprise-grade data protection in an easy, light-touch, subscription-based model. Just like a phone contract, you can use a simple pay-as-you-go model to acquire tech that is tried, true, and compliant with the necessary security and governmental regulations, as demonstrated by our FedRAMP High In Process – In PMO Review status. You can even request a trial, use a government credit card for management, and easily cancel at any time.

A well-planned purchasing strategy is the first step for government agencies toward achieving their goals and providing secure operational efficiency. This is where partnering with a FedRAMP High In Process – In PMO Review technology provider is most helpful. Once that is complete, the next time someone asks  if your cloud infrastructure is secure, scalable, and reliable, you can say “YES!”

And with today’s announcement, that solution can be Metallic Office 365 Backup for Government Cloud, Commvault’s first FedRAMP High In Process – In PMO Review Ready SaaS data protection offering in support of federal, state, and local agencies running Office 365 GCC High environments on Azure Government Cloud. In the weeks and months to come, we intend to continue adding additional workloads, as well as Metallic Cloud Storage, delivering government customers a true portfolio of solutions that support their needs and meets stringent security standards.

Also in the coming weeks, we’ll be diving deeper into how Metallic SaaS can make your life easier, budget more stable, and your concerns over cloud data protection a thing of the past.

You can find more information about the ways in which Metallic and MCSS SaaS and cloud technologies are helping local, state, and regional governments provide secure operations and better citizen services by visiting the Metallic Government Cloud page on our website.