The Microsoft Agreement for Online Services - Government program, better known as the AOS-G program, was created to enable government and commercial organizations the ability to purchase less than 500 Microsoft Government Cloud Community High (GCC High) licenses from an authorized Microsoft partner. Previously, Microsoft required contractors to sign an Enterprise Agreement (EA) to obtain licenses and access to the Microsoft 365 GCC High environment. The AOS-G program currently consists of a dozen authorized Microsoft partners and creates an easier path for small-midsized businesses in the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) to access a cloud platform suitable for meeting federal regulations.

GCC High and this authorized reseller program are particularly critical for Department of Defense (DoD) contractors who must comply with DFARS 7012 and Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 (CMMC 2.0) requirements, as well as specific practices for handling Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) and/or International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR) data.

If your organization is exploring the Microsoft US Government cloud offerings in order to alleviate security and compliance requirements, you will need to determine which licensing is right for your organization. This informational guide covers four different types of Microsoft 365 licensing:

• Enterprise Licensing
• Mobility and Security Licensing
• Operating System Licensing
• GCC High Licensing

Still unsure if Microsoft 365 GCC High is a proper platform for your organization's data and associated cybersecurity regulations? This blog should provide additional guidance.

Summit 7 Systems was selected as one of the first authorized AOS-G partners to sell GCC High licensing to organizations under 500 users. Since the initial phase of the program, Summit 7 has supported hundreds of DoD contractors in meeting their licensing needs, as well as securing their cloud environment(s). 

If you have already determined that your organization needs GCC High licensing for compliance requirements, then you will need to start Microsoft's eligibility process.