5 reasons to move to hyperscale cloud now

“Command and control is essential for decision-making. But in the end, that has to include some combination of AI, machine learning, and all the other adaptations technologically, alongside in parallel with an exquisite timing with a human ability, and the human value of making decisions in that cycle. So, I think that the digital world has changed command and control, but the objective of that is to make really good decisions.”

Retired Vice Admiral, Ann E. Rondeau

The current geopolitical environment is entering a heightened phase of competition with adversaries looking to exploit technological advancements to get ahead. Over recent decades, defense and intelligence organizations have seen unparalleled and constant change, as they respond to the emergence of a new and transforming world. The rapid and disruptive advance of technology may be at the forefront of change (particularly as accelerated by COVID-19), but the digital transformation of defense organizations should also be viewed through the lens of the changing geopolitical situation and evolution of warfare. This evolution is most impacted especially across the landscapes of global threats, regional instability, emergency response, hybrid warfare, cyberattacks, and grey zone activities designed to disrupt both military and industrial infrastructure. 

As we delve deeper into technological advancements, the Microsoft Defense and Intelligence team understands that AI stands at the forefront, driving innovation and transformation across various sectors. It, along with the growth in the Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities, is driving maturity in sensors, data gathering, and analysis and visualization—all of which can be delivered at the tactical edge for deployed forces. Further, cloud computing capabilities and sophisticated simulation techniques are being fused with new and evolving communications technologies, such as 5G and space-based capabilities. Together, these technologies aren’t just a trend, but a significant stride towards a technologically advanced defense system that can revolutionize mission planning, rehearsal, and execution.  

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The technological advantage 

An increasing race for technological advantage means allied nations must consider how they can increase their tech intensity,¹ to provide “digital advantage” over their competition. For defense and intelligence, achieving “digital advantage” is key as it will cement the bedrock for the provision of information superiority on mission and provide the foundation for accelerating the design, build, and transition into service of new and innovative capabilities. This will speed the capability lifecycle and also provide simulation technologies for optimizing force generation activities.  

To achieve this, these organizations will need to compete continuously across all military domains—adopting better, smarter, and more flexible operations. The adoption, continuous innovation, and democratization of technology will be critical to enabling this response. It will also require a growing reliance on sharing data across a secure, singular, resilient, and adaptive digital continuum, and exploiting that data through contemporary developments that enhance human and machine teaming. 

Move to hyperscale with help from Microsoft

This need to continuously innovate and transform requires defense and intelligence organizations to move to hyperscale with urgency. The necessary transformation can’t be delivered from current siloed and technologically constrained Information and Communication Technology (ICT) environments. Therefore, the answer to this dilemma is through the five imperatives that will increase your digital advantage.  

1. Innovation and speed to value: Defense organizations need to stay at the forefront of technological advancements to enhance defense system capabilities and innovation and stay ahead of their adversaries, leveraging vast digital data for invaluable insights crucial to national security. Moving from on-premise to hyperscale cloud will be a pivotal catalyst in supporting innovation as it enables the rapid adoption of new and innovative developments from industry, facilitates the efficient processing and analysis of immense datasets, and also offers a scalable and agile platform that will adapt to the evolving technological landscape. The future of innovation is the cloud. 
2. Connectivity and interoperability: Military organizations demand seamless global collaboration, necessitating connectivity from headquarters to the tactical edge. Microsoft Azure’s worldwide network—distributed across multiple regions—forms the backbone of its cloud services. It enables low-latency access for global application deployment and management, ideal for achieving connectivity and interoperability across diverse defense forces.¹ 
3. Security: Air-gapped environments face growing vulnerabilities—particularly from insider threats and private clouds—even at an enterprise scale, typically lack the robust network security systems and monitoring capabilities found in hyperscale security operations centers (SOCs). In the past year, military organizations have faced a surge in targeted cyberattacks, emphasizing the need for AI-driven defenses with access to hyperscale data. Microsoft’s exceptional AI supercomputer processes an extraordinary 750 million security signals per second, enabling rapid real-time threat analysis and responses that surpass the capabilities of private networks. 
4. Computational power: Unconstrained access to computational power is crucial for real-time data collection, fusion, and analysis—addressing immense computational needs beyond what is realistically available on-premise and essential for informed decision-making in military simulations and strategic planning. To maintain a digital advantage, defense organizations must adopt hyperscale solutions like Microsoft Azure, which efficiently meet growing data demands and enhance computing resources without the constraints of on-premise requirements and costs. 
5. Reliability and resilience: Reliability and resilience considerations for defense must address both kinetic and cyber-attacks, with hyperscale cloud providing comprehensive cyber protection against diverse threats, setting a benchmark for collective defense that requires a unified approach involving allies, partners, and agencies. Microsoft Azure—as the first ISO-22301 certified hyperscale cloud provider—showcases its ability to prevent, mitigate, respond to, and recover from incidents. It offers a secure haven for a nation’s critical data during conflicts, ensuring a level of resiliency unavailable with on-premise solutions and preventing potential disruptions to national operations. The impact of data loss or compromise in an on-premise system during a kinetic attack underscores the critical importance of secure cloud solutions for maintaining a nation’s smooth functioning. 

Increasingly, defense organizations are reliant on the global defense industrial base to maintain digital advantage and industry is well placed to respond, with access to the resource and innovative culture required to deliver. However, this cannot be done by industry alone, defense organizations also need to come to the table with a desire to unburden its procurement constraints, which will aid greater innovation, and to take on the task of vigorously reviewing its policy stances and their place (or not) in a modern digital world, which can often stifle progress.

Resources to help with your transition

To learn more about how the Microsoft Defense and Intelligence team can help in your transition to hyperscale cloud and hear from former defense leaders, we encourage you to visit the Public Sector Center of Expertise and listen to: 

• Digital Transformation in Modern Military Operations, insights from General Bob Brown.
• Technology Trends and Decision Advantage in Defense with retired Vice Admiral Ann E. Rondeau.
• Military Lessons on Cyberdefense with retired Major General Dr. Marcus Thompson.

Or you can get in touch with your Microsoft sales representative or technology partner. 

¹ CSIS, Seven Critical Technologies For Winning The Next War, April 2023.

Lloyd Hewitt

Director Business Strategy Worldwide Public Sector Defense and Intelligence, Microsoft

Hewitt, as an experienced business leader, and former United Kingdom and Australian Defense Naval Officer has worked in both public and private sector industries. As Director, Worldwide Public Sector, he is responsible for Microsoft’s Defense Strategy where he relies on years of experience and intuitional knowledge of defense procedures and ecosystem. He is a vocal advocate for the adoption of cloud-based technologies to future defense missions.

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