Microsoft announced on Wednesday that the company has signed a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA) with U.S. Army engineers use the company’s Azure Government cloud for a system that models extreme weather around coasts. Nextgov reported Friday.
The announcement states, “This government/industry collaboration is aimed at improving climate modeling and natural disaster resilience planning through the use of predictive analytics-powered, cloud-based tools and Artificial Intelligence (AI) services.”
The CRADA stipulates that the Army Engineer Research and Design Center (ERDC) will use CSTORM-MS, a coastal storm modeling system, to demonstrate its scalability in Azure. The Army’s objective is to increase modeling capacity and improve the dissemination of data.
Microsoft and ERDC will prove scalability by running its storm suite for the North Atlantic coast at a sea-level rise value. This data has never been simulated before. The data will allow other researchers to use the model results and copy the workflow for their own affected coastlines.
ERDC and the company have already finished initial Azure testing. In 202, ERDC and the Department of Defense’s High-Performance Modernization program completed a workload assessment that included a feasibility study for the CSTORM-MS models.
Microsoft is well experienced in supporting many government organization’s digital transformation with Azure. Cloud integration and information technology (IT) modernization requires strong cybersecurity, along with an experienced team like Microsoft.
In an attempt to bolster its cybersecurity capabilities which will be involved with the CRADA, the company agreed to buy cybersecurity company RiskIQ for over $500 million in cash, GovConWire reported Monday.
The upcoming acquisition will add new security features to Azure cloud and Windows services that stop cyberattacks and bring on additional staff who will help detect vulnerabilities in Microsoft products.
