AWS Again Awarded NSA Cloud Computing Contract Over Microsoft

Amazon Web Services (AWS) has again received a cloud computing services contract from the National Security Agency (NSA). It reportedly is worth up to $10 billion.

The contract, code-named “Wild and Stormy,” went to AWS last July, according to Nextgov. Microsoft, which was competing for the contract, then protested the award.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) sided with Microsoft and recommended the NSA re-evaluate both proposals. The NSA then decided to again give the contract to AWS.

“NSA recently awarded a contract to Amazon Web Services that delivers cloud computing services to support the agency’s mission,” an NSA spokesperson said.

The contract is a continuation of the NSA’s hybrid compute initiative. It will modernize and address the agency’s processing and analytical requirements.

‘Best Value’ Decision

NSA re-evaluated the proposals and “made a new best value decision,” the agency spokesperson said.

The NSA hybrid compute initiative aims to move some of the agency’s most valuable intelligence data from internal servers to those operated by a cloud service provider. In this case, that’s AWS.

“We’re honored that after thorough review, the NSA selected AWS as the cloud provider for the hybrid compute initiative,” an AWS spokesperson told Nextgov. “And we’re ready to help deliver this critical national security capability.”

Last summer, the Department of Defense (DoD) canceled its $10 billion JEDI cloud contract. AWS and Microsoft Azure engaged in never-ending legal fights for that contract.

The DoD said due to evolving requirements, increased cloud conversancy and industry advances, the JEDI contract no longer meets its needs. The department continues to have unmet cloud capability gaps.