The United States Army has deployed Google Workspace to both new and current soldiers to ensure that all users have an email solution.
Soldiers will have access to the full Workspace suite, which includes Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Chat, Meet, Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Forms.
The US Army has confirmed that the platform is live for soldiers who don’t require the full collaboration capabilities of Army365.
Raj Iyer, Chief Information Officer, United States Army, said: “I am pleased to announce that Army Google Workspace is now operational and live.
“Under the direction of Enterprise Cloud Management Agency, we have implemented the first Impact Level 4 Google Workspace in the Federal Government to process Controlled Unclassified Information.
“The process began earlier this year to identify an alternate email solution for a select group of Army users that don’t require the full enterprise collaboration capabilities of Army365 and to ensure that no Army user will be left without an email solution when Defense Enterprise Email is sunset by DISA.
“All new entrants to the Army will be provisioned automatically with a Google Workspace account with a new email address that is @usa.army.mil when they receive their CAC card.
“Users in Army 365 and Google Workspace will be able to find each other in the global directory and invite each other for Teams or Google Meets.”
The US Army states that soldiers will retain their Google account until they fully transition to their first unit after completing basic and advanced individual training (AIT).
It is at this point that their unit commanders will determine whether they will continue with a Google account or switch to Army365.
Army365 leverages Microsoft 365 capabilities which include video and voice conferencing, email, instant messaging, and access to shared drives.
Darryl Peek, Head of Federal Strategic Partnerships at Google, commented: “I’m excited about the Google Cloud partnership with the US Army.
“Thank you, Hon. John Sherman, Raj Iyer, and other DoD leaders for trusting our team to support service men and women.
“Both of my grandfathers served in the Army, and I am proud Google is a part of your incredible mission.”
Google Workspace will replace the Defense Enterprise Email (DEE) with all remaining users on the previous platform set to transition within the coming days.
In the past, Google taking on defence contracts has caused a backlash from its employees, prompting protests.
In September, Wired reported that hundreds of Google workers gathered near the company’s offices in San Francisco to protest against an Israeli government cloud contract.
Google employees in New York and North Carolina also did the same as they showed their opposition to Project Nimbus.
Documents published by The Intercept show the contract includes AI technology such as facial recognition, video analysis, and sentiment analysis.
Those against Google’s deal with the Israeli government stated that the Israeli military could use the technology to expand their surveillance of Palestinians.
