US Department of Interior moves 84K employees from Google apps back to Office 365

The US Department of Interior has decided to move back 84,500 employees from Google apps to Office 365, according to a report from Federal News Network (via Windows Central). The new $94 million contract follows a previous battle between Google and Microsoft seven years ago, when the Interior ultimately chose Google to move its email to the cloud.

With this new contract, the US Department of Interior plans to leverage Microsoft tools to improve collaboration between DOI employees, as explained in this statement:

“The cloud based solution will support DOI employees by improving work collaboration methods, documentation flows, communication capabilities, streamlined email usage and management and overall increased business performance of DOI’s mission, cost and support objectives,” the statement of work states. “DOI goals include developing an integrated partnership to build a project that transitions accounts, data, technical controls, authentication or access capabilities and applications that make up the current cloud email and collaboration system into a modernized, secure, service enriched, email and collaboration system.”

The timing for this new contract is quite interesting, as Microsoft is still waiting on a decision regarding Pentagon’s $10 billion, multi-year JEDI contract. Last month, we also reported that the United States Defense Department agreed to use Microsoft’s 365 productivity software and solutions in a $7.6 billion deal.