Microsoft Office 365 Government License Comparison: G1 vs G3 and G5

Microsoft Office 365 Government License Comparison: G1 vs G3 and G5

Is your organization involved in government or defense contracting and you need secure productivity apps and cloud solutions? If so, one service option you may choose to leverage would be Microsoft’s Office 365 Government. Microsoft specifically designed Office 365 Government plans to meet the requirements of government organizations (as well as government contractors) due to the unique and evolving data and security needs of the United States public sector. These plans offer many of the same features, capabilities, and productivity apps organizations have come to expect from Microsoft’s commercial plans, but with added security capabilities in a segmented government cloud community that enables organizations to meet U.S. compliance and security standards.

Of course, just like with Microsoft’s commercial Office 365 products, governmental organizations and contractors have multiple Office 365 Government plans they can choose from, with the most popular being Office 365 Government Community Cloud (GCC) G1, G3, and G5.

While these products offer enhanced security for government data, the features and security capabilities they provide increase from G1 to G5, with Office 365 GCC G5 providing the most robust combination of features and security capabilities. Wondering how exactly Office 365 Government differs from other Microsoft subscriptions, who is eligible to purchase these licenses, and how you will know which plan is right for your organization? Keep reading as we look at what you need to know about Office 365 Government, including an in-depth look at your licensing options.

What is Office 365 Government?

Office 365 Government is a suite of Office 365 plans that act as the government versions of Microsoft’s commercial Office 365 plans. These licenses provide government organizations and contractors with a range of tools and services that can help them leverage the cloud to boost efficiency while adhering to compliance requirements organizations must follow when handling sensitive government data. Like commercial Office 365 products, Office 365 Government plans are monthly subscriptions, but these plans can be licensed to an unlimited number of users. In addition to providing the typical features and capabilities of Office 365 (including Microsoft Teams), organizations that use Office 365 Government plans benefit from a variety of unique features including:

• Data centers for Office 365 Government plans are located in the Continental US to ensure compliance with ITAR and FedRAMP. Office 365 is FedRAMP Authorized, but you cannot be compliant with ITAR if your data is housed in GCC. You explicitly need GCC High.
• Access to your organization’s customer content is restricted to screened Microsoft personnel who must be U.S. citizens who’ve gone through complex background checks.
• Office 365 Government complies with certifications and accreditations that are required for US Public Sector customers.
• Data from Office 365 government plans are segregated from customer content in Microsoft’s commercial plans, helping to keep this data secure by reducing the likelihood of a breach.

Who is Eligible?

Unlike many of Microsoft’s products, Office 365 Government plans are only available to qualifying organizations, including government organizations, entities, and agencies at the tribal, city, county, state, or federal levels.

Organizations may also qualify for an Office 365 Government plan if they handle data subject to government regulations and requirements where the use of Microsoft 365 is necessary to meet these regulations and requirements, such as government contractors who handle sensitive government data. However, these users are subject to validation of eligibility by Microsoft, which may include proof of registration with the U.S. Department of State for ITAR data, or sponsorship by a government entity with specific requirements for handling sensitive data.

If you’re unsure about your eligibility or what you need to apply for validation, consult an experienced managed service provider (MSP) like Agile IT. We’re an AOS-G Partner who has ample experience helping guide customers through the validation process, and we can help you validate your organization’s eligibility with minimal hassle.

How Is Office 365 Government Different from Commercial Office Products?

The primary way Office 365 Government plans differ from normal commercial Office 365 plans is that they provide government organizations and contractors with enhanced security measures. These plans also provide specific features to ensure compliance with government regulations and standards, such as housing all data in U.S.-based data centers segregated from commercial customer data.

These plans then help reduce the chances of a data breach and are ideal for government organizations as well as government contractors and subcontractors who handle Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI). While not classified, this data is still considered sensitive and must be stored following specific government guidelines to protect national security. The enhanced security features of Office 365 Government plans can then play an essential role in helping these organizations maintain compliance when operating in a cloud environment.

What Office 365 Government Plan is Right for Your Organization?

As a government contractor who handles sensitive government data, choosing the right Microsoft cloud solution is essential to ensure you maintain compliance with government regulations. Yet, how will you know which Office 365 Government license is right for your organization? Ultimately, this will depend on what features you need from your Microsoft license, as each plan provides different enhancements and security features.

Office 365 GCC G1 provides the most basic level of service, giving users access to online features like web-based Office apps, email, and cloud storage, while G3 adds desktop Office applications and enhanced security features. G5 provides the most comprehensive option for government agencies and contractors, as it provides advanced compliance capabilities, enhanced data analytics tools like Power BI Pro, and extra collaboration tools. To help you choose the best plan for your organization, take a look at the in-depth analysis of the features offered by these three plans and the differences between them.

Office 365 GCC G1

Microsoft’s most basic plan, Office 365 GCC G1 provides organizations with cloud-based email, file sharing, storage, and office apps in a secure environment. Office 365 GCC G1 provides similar functionality to its commercial counterpart, Office 365 Enterprise E1, but it is hosted in a separate, secure environment, provides enhanced compliance features like accreditation, personnel screening, and data residency, and it includes Microsoft Teams without the need for an additional license. This plan includes access to online versions of all of the Microsoft Office apps you need including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and it also includes online file storage and sharing with 1TB OneDrive storage per user. Office 365 G1 also comes with a 50GB mailbox per user, as well as HD video conferencing with Skype for Business.

Office 365 GCC G3

Next up is Office 365 GCC G3, which offers all the same features as G1, as well as additional features such as desktop Office applications, hosted voicemail with an automatic attendant, 365 message encryption, and eDiscovery tools. This plan also features up to 5TB initial OneDrive storage per user, a 100 GB mailbox, the ability to host webinars, data loss prevention for emails and files, and enhanced security and compliance features.

Office 365 GCC G5

For those looking for some of the best security, compliance, and productivity tools Microsoft has to offer, Office 365 GCC G5 may be a good fit. Office 365 GCC G5 is an upgraded version of G3 that offers all the same features and capabilities as G3, plus a few additional features that provide enhanced security, compliance, and collaboration including:

• Audio conferencing with unlimited dial-in capabilities, as well as 60 minutes per user per month of dial-out conferencing to US and Canadian phone numbers. This can be helpful when an organization needs to include external participants in its meetings, as it allows invitees to dial in from their mobile phone or landline and join a Microsoft Teams Meeting.
• Advanced message encryption for enhanced security.
• Advanced eDiscovery with predictive coding and text analytics.
• Data loss prevention for Teams chats.
• And Microsoft Defender for Office 365.

Office 365 GCC G5 provides the most comprehensive suite of productivity tools and security and compliance features, making it the ideal option for government agencies and contractors looking to boost efficiency and ensure the security of CUI as well as other sensitive government data.

Ready to Migrate to Office 365 Government? Contact Agile IT Today!

As a government contractor, choosing the right cloud solution is essential to ensure you maintain compliance and protect sensitive government data. Yet, with Microsoft offering several Office 365 Government plans, it can be difficult to know which will work best for your organization. If you’re considering migrating to Office 365 Government and you aren’t sure where to start, consider contacting Agile IT for your licensing needs.

At Agile IT, our team is experienced in helping organizations like yours manage the process of migrating to the Office 365 Government cloud environment. We can help you with each step of the process from choosing the right Office 365 Government plan to meet your needs and compliance requirements to helping you validate your eligibility for Office 365 Government.

Contact us to find out more about our services and how our talented team can help make your migration to Office 365 Government as smooth as possible.