No matter the industry, organizations are challenged to find a comprehensive IT strategy that fits their unique needs. As an increasing number of these businesses are forced to go digital, they are also looking for a cloud solution that is user-friendly, secure, and compatible with their existing tools and devices. The same goes for federal agencies -but they require more.

What's the "more"? Compliance. Federal agencies are not just looking for a secure and agile solution that is simple for employees to use. They need all of that plus a "cloud first" solution that is compliant with strict government security regulations, but understandably so. The platform must check all the boxes before the government can trust it to secure the nation's most secret and sensitive information.

Here's the twist: this extra requirement means limited options for federal agencies to consider; and one of the only solutions in the market right now forces agencies to go to a fully-digital IT platform while only being compatible with certain devices. Not only does this make the solution more expensive, but it adds many layers of complexity when transitioning employees to the new platform.

What agencies need is a cloud platform that meets government security regulations, allows them to ease into the digital world, and use the devices that make the most sense for their budget and their employees. Cisco's new, hosted collaboration solution for government (HCS-G) gives agencies a better option that is both tailored and flexible. It's a transitional cloud solution that does more than check the boxes ... it enables the government to protect and serve the nation with the following in mind:

• Comfort-Cisco's HCS-G is compatible with the tools and devices agencies are already familiar with, so the transition to digital IT has a better user experience in both in the office and on a mobile device.
• Collaboration-HCS-G includes Cisco's collaboration tools, such as voice conferencing, messaging and video -creating a differentiated experience for users across the country.
• Cloud-HCS-G is a cloud solution -meeting the government's "cloud first" mandate for budget.
• Confidence-All tools (video messaging, conferencing, etc.) are on one platform, so you can have the confidence in the ease of assessibility and management.
• Compliance-HCS-G is FedRAMP? authorized, meaning it meets all government security regulations and policies for protecting data and privacy.

Adhere to the government's "cloud first" strategy mandate, implement a certified and secure platform, and introduce a user-friendly solution ... all within budget. It's a significant decision especially for federal agencies, that doesn't have to be as challenging anymore.

Continue to follow us here and at @CiscoGovt for exciting news and updates. And for more information, check out our Cisco.com pages for government and HCS for Government.