Understanding Compliance Between Microsoft 365 Commercial, GCC, GCC-High and DoD Offerings
Understanding compliance between Commercial, GCC, GCC High and DoD offerings: There remains much confusion as to what service supports what standards best. If you have DFARS, ITAR, FedRAMP, CJIS, IRS and other regulatory requirements and you are trying to understand what service is the best fit for your organization then you should read this article.Understanding Compliance Between Commercial, Government and DoD Offerings - February 2021 Update
Understanding compliance between Commercial, Government and DoD offerings: There remains much confusion as to what service supports what standards best. If you have DFARS, ITAR, FedRAMP, CJIS, IRS and other regulatory requirements and you are trying to understand what service is the best fit for your organization then you should read this article.The Microsoft 365 Government (GCC High) Conundrum - DIB Data Enclave vs Going All In
The DIB (Defense Industrial Base) are embracing M365 GCC High to achieve compliance with U.S. defense regulations. However, not all deployment approaches are equal. Many opt for a 'ITAR Compliant Data Enclave', while others may come to the conclusion they must go all into GCC High.Track Changes in Word docs without leaving Microsoft Teams
One of the most common feedback I’ve heard, as a consultant in the field, is this: “We work on Word documents with track changes most of the time. But when we use Teams to collaborate, we have to open it in Word (desktop app) – we can’t use track changes without leaving Teams!”History of Microsoft Cloud Service Offerings leading to the US Sovereign Cloud for Government
Microsoft has evolved our cloud service offerings to include the US Sovereign Cloud with Azure Government, Microsoft 365 GCC High and DoD. This article puts the history in perspective of how we ended up with multiple clouds, as opposed to one instance with many data enclaves.Microsoft US Sovereign Cloud Myth Busters - CUI Effectively Requires Data Sovereignty
We will focus on the myth that Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) does not require data sovereignty. This article is written through the lens of requirements to protect CUI in the context of the U.S. Department of Defense for national security, such as in alignment with the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) and the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).Breaking the Search Habit
In today's fast-paced digital world, digital workers of all kinds are constantly seeking ways to streamline their workflows and enhance productivity. One of the most exciting new tools available is Copilot, an "answer engine" that goes beyond the capabilities of traditional search engines. To help illustrate the unique benefits of Copilot, I recently hosted a game show-style event showcasing its ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and provide comprehensive answers, saving time and energy. The best part? I used Copilot itself to help me create the framework for this gameshow in just a few minutes. I'll include the prompts and responses I used at the end of this article so you can see just how easy it was. A special thanks to all those who attended our recent Tribal Nations conference and learning event where leaders from some of America's most tech-forward tribes come to explore what Copilot could do to bring greater productivity and equity to its members and business interests. So, why a game show format? I believe that engagement == better learning so the game show format was designed to be interactive and quasi-competitive, making it easy and fun for participants to grasp the differences between Copilot and standard search engine experiences in a memorable way. The event featured a series of fun activities and challenges that highlighted Copilot's conversational ease and ability to provide composite answers. For example, participants were asked to solve complex queries using both Copilot and traditional search engines, demonstrating how Copilot's approach simplifies the process. For extra fun, Copilot also provided me with taglines, slogans, and even a fun graphic, all in literally just a few minutes. I went from idea to implementation, all in under 20 minutes. Copilot is an Answer Engine Unlike traditional search engines that require multiple queries and manual collation of information, Copilot acts as an answer engine, synthesizing data from various sources to provide a single, comprehensive response. The game show showcased activities where participants experienced firsthand how Copilot can save valuable time and effort. By leveraging Copilot, information professionals can focus on more strategic tasks rather than getting bogged down in repetitive search queries. I find this an incredibly important distinction for a couple reasons... First, we've all adopted search syntax as a second language. When we sit down at that search prompt we choose the right key words, in the right order, and heck… we've gotten pretty good at it. But the same string of keywords sent to Copilot frequently disappoint in results. It can be a challenge to trust the natural language capabilities of Copilot to hear and understand (and communicate back!) without using stilted search syntax tricks. Second, part of how Copilot differentiates itself from standard search queries is that it can actually retrieve information from disparate sources to compare and collate its response. The more specific and natural-language your question the better it seems to response. An example that seemed to resonate with folks during the gameplay: "I am a 49 year old cloud solution architect with 27 years of experience in the IT field, living in the Seattle area and I'm considering moving to Tampa Bay Florida. What can I expect in terms of changes to my cost of living and compensation?" What's important to note is that both contestants are likely to generate an answer, but Copilot excelled by doing it faster and more comprehensively. Collating and presenting data from several different searches as a complete answer, and it self-cites so you can quickly vet your information sources! Most importantly, it invites follow-up questions in a conversational manner that lets you dig further into details or compare more broadly in the abstract. Here's a quick screenshot of the reply generated in just seconds: Breaking the Search Habit The tagline "breaking the search habit" captures the key takeaway from the event. Copilot offers a different experience, emphasizing conversational ease over specific search syntax. Participants learned that talking to Copilot is more intuitive and efficient, allowing them to obtain the information they need without the hassle of crafting precise search queries, and then stitching together data from across a dozen different web results. This shift in approach can significantly enhance productivity and streamline workflows. Conclusion The game show event was a resounding success, providing participants with a fun and informative way to understand the benefits of Copilot. By breaking the search habit and embracing Copilot's answer engine capabilities, they unlocked new levels of efficiency and productivity. I encourage everyone to explore Copilot and experience the difference for themselves and hope that this approach can be a fun and engaging way to help folks in your organization add a powerful new capability to their toolkits. As promised, here are the handful of interactions with Copilot that produced everything I needed to make this fun game show in just minutes...Understanding Compliance Between Commercial, Government, DoD & Secret Offerings - July 2025 Update
Understanding compliance between Commercial, Government, DoD & Secret Offerings: There remains much confusion as to what service supports what standards best. If you have CMMC, DFARS, ITAR, FedRAMP, CJIS, IRS and other regulatory requirements and you are trying to understand what service is the best fit for your organization then you should read this article.Microsoft Reference Identity Architectures for the US Defense Industrial Base
The white paper “Microsoft Reference Identity Architectures for the US Defense Industrial Base” is the result of deep collaboration among the National Defense ISAC "MSCloud" Working Group. It provides the group’s consensus on common challenges coupled with guidance on potential ways to overcome those challenges.
