Windows 7 racks up certifications, furthering hopes of government adoption

TNW Quick Hit:

Ever since the FISMA spat between Google and Microsoft, we have been keeping an extra close eye on software certifications for either company that could set the stage for larger governmental adoption of their products.

In that vein, Microsoft announced today that Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, and SQL Server 2008 SP2 have all completed the Common Criteria certification process. This certification, according to Microsoft, is the “international standard for ensuring that IT products conform to stringent security requirements,  is recognized by the 26 member nations of the CCRA, and used in procurement requirements by governments around the world.”

The products have achieved Evaluation Assurance Level 4 with augmentation, or ‘EAL4+.’

Microsoft is obviously hoping that this new round of certifications will bolster its sales of the above listed products to the US government. In its post on the matter, Microsoft notes that Common Criteria certification is mandatory for “U.S. defense and national security customers.”

In recent weeks Microsoft and Google have exchanged barbs over Federal Information Security Management Act (FISMA) certification, with Microsoft touting its cloud products as having achieved the status, pointing out that Google’s similar offerings have yet to accomplish the same. Google snapped back at Microsoft for making what it found to be false statements, and claimed that it indeed did have FISMA certification.

The government software sector is hot because mountains of money flow through it every year. Microsoft is determined to not cede ground to Google, and today’s round of new certifications are certainly not going to hurt.