Many organizations in compliance-driven industries experience complexities when managing multiple environments i.e., Microsoft 365 Government Community Cloud (GCC), Microsoft 365 Commercial, and on-premises environments. When it comes to choosing an automation solution that works in any environment, it is a complex decision. In this article, we outline the main differences between Microsoft 365 Commercial and GCC, the benefits and limitations of using Microsoft Power Platform for GCC, and how to select an automation solution that can be used in all environments.
Differences Between Microsoft 365 Commercial and GCC
Microsoft 365 Commercial is a complete suite of intelligent business applications that has built-in data governance controls that allow you to protect sensitive information while delivering improved productivity benefits for employees who need it most. It is not intended for government or defense compliance.
Microsoft 365 Government Community Cloud (GCC) is a solution tailored specifically for government and public sector organizations. It is a cloud-based platform that facilitates the delivery of secure, reliable, and cost-effective services.
Unlike Commercial, GCC has additional security features designed to meet stringent security requirements set by various governments across the globe. It includes features such as encryption, data loss prevention, multi-factor authentication, and information rights management which cannot be found in Microsoft 365 Commercial. Security settings in GCC offer additional protections such as audit logging capabilities, identity protection tools, threat intelligence services, advanced malware detection, secure web browsing, and policy enforcement functionality—all designed to ensure complete privacy and safety of sensitive information stored within an organization’s network infrastructure. Additionally, GCC offers specialized compliance capabilities that are not available in Microsoft 365 Commercial.
While both solutions offer a wide range of applications and services tailored to specific needs and requirements, only GCC provides users with the ability to customize certain aspects of their environment based on their compliance requirements—including mobile access settings or configuration options for Active Directory synchronization.
Maintaining Compliance in GCC
GCC provides a variety of tools that enable organizations to meet compliance requirements while taking advantage of cloud-based solutions. One way that GCC helps organizations maintain compliance is through its comprehensive set of security policies developed specifically for government organizations. These policies are designed to help control access to sensitive information by restricting which user roles can perform certain tasks and requiring multi-factor authentication when accessing critical systems or applications. In addition, these policies ensure that all data stored on the platform always remains secure by encrypting it both during transfer and at rest in storage.
Benefits of Using Microsoft Power Platform for GCC
Many organizations in compliance-driven industries have different systems, applications, and data that need to be in GCC, Commercial, and on-premises. Leveraging the same automation solution across all three environments is complex, but not impossible. We will share more about these options at the end of this article.
The Microsoft Power Platform is an automation platform that enables organizations to quickly create and deploy custom solutions for their unique needs. It includes services such as Power Automate, Power Apps, and Power BI. With these tools, organizations can automate processes, gain invaluable insights into their operations, and develop apps tailored specifically for their requirements. Microsoft recently created Power Apps US Government in response to the unique and evolving requirements of the United States public sector.
By leveraging the capabilities of the Microsoft Power Platform within GCC, organizations can benefit from features such as:
- Streamlined workflow automation with low-code/no-code development options.
- Richer data analysis through AI-driven insights.
- Secure authentication for user access.
- Collaboration via Office 365 integration.
- Scalable application hosting in cloud environments.
- Automated deployment models based on Azure DevOps Services.
- Mobile device management across multiple platforms including iOS and Android devices.
Using the Power Platform for GCC also helps ensure compliance with various security protocols since it comes out of the box with several security features like multi-factor authentication, encryption technology, and built-in auditing functions. Additionally, connecting to other services like Dynamics 365 or Salesforce allows users to extend app functionality even further while also maintaining a solid foundation of trust around shared data between systems.
Overall, the Microsoft Power Platform offers a powerful set of tools that provide tremendous value in GCC due to its ability to streamline workflows while providing enhanced protection against threats.
Limitations of Using Microsoft Power Platform for GCC
There are limitations; however, of using the Microsoft Power Platform for GCC—the main limitation being that it is not compatible in on-premises environments because it is cloud-based. If an organization in a compliance-driven industry manages GCC, Commercial, and on-premises environments, they need a solution that helps reduce and maintain the ongoing costs of using applications across multiple environments—while prioritizing the right tool for the right job.
Selecting an Automation Solution that Can Be Used Across Environments
The ideal solution is a multi-environment and predictable business process automation platform for applications supporting critical business objectives. In partnership with Nintex, Elantis offers an unlimited and unrestricted new approach that has predictable costs. We can help you explore how Nintex and the Microsoft Power Platform can co-exist in your organization—to select the right tool for the right job, analyze ongoing maintenance costs, and compare licensing models.
Curious to learn more? Book a meeting with Josef Hans Lara, Elantis’ VP of Business Development to see if this solution is right for your organization.
