Google unveils apps suite for government

Google on Monday announced a new version of Google Apps, its Web-based competitor to Microsoft's Office business suite, that is tailored to federal agency customers and meets the government's security and cloud computing standards.

Currently, more than a dozen federal agencies already use the enterprise edition of Google Apps for routine business tasks, such as e-mail, word processing and calendars. The new edition, Google Apps for Government, is the first package of cloud tools to receive federal security certification, according to company officials.

Cloud computing is a method of paying for and accessing information technology on-demand and online through a third party, instead of via agency servers. To reduce IT costs and greenhouse gas emissions, the White House has been pushing federal agencies to consider replacing more expensive in-house servers and software licenses with cloud computing hardware and software.

But perhaps the biggest obstacle to transitioning to the cloud has been concerns about the security of hosting agency data in a shared online environment.

The General Services Administration has reviewed Google's new product and confirmed that it complies with controls stipulated under the 2002 Federal Information Security Information Act, company officials said. They added FISMA approval will make it easier for agencies to compare Google Apps' security features with those of their existing systems. Federal employee e-mail and calendar services will be hosted separately from Google's other business-class services in a U.S. location. The company expects to segregate its other government offerings soon.

"I think what's most important here is the FISMA certification," said David Mihalchik, the head of Google Apps federal business division. "That speaks to our commitment to meet the government's requirements and it's another example of our leadership in the cloud."

He added the product provides the same level of security as agencies' existing in-house e-mail and office software, but "now they have the opportunity to move to a less costly more powerful technology platform."

The president's fiscal 2012 budget is expected to require that agencies consider shifting to cloud-based services if the option is cheaper than and as secure as traditional IT networks.

Google Apps' government package is priced the same as Google's existing premier package, which is $50 a year per user. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, part of the Energy Department, has deployed the new service and current customers will have the option of upgrading from the premier package going forward, Google officials said on Monday.

Many companies offer systems they characterize as cloud-based, but do not meet the government's definition of cloud systems. For example, Web-based IT services offered under long-term contracts are excluded from the government definition. Cloud services must be purchased through subscriptions that let agencies control when services are activated and deactivated, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Google Apps for government is a so-called community cloud, meaning that several organizations with a common mission or set of security requirements share the infrastructure.