Introducing GovSlack, a digital HQ to support secure government work

Slack is proud to serve as the digital HQ for all types of teams, empowering them to work when and how they choose, no matter what industry they’re in or which requirements they need to meet. That’s why Slack is the preferred solution for so many government agencies, like the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and the General Services Administration’s 18F Office, as well as the organizations that work with them.

Teams like these face unique challenges: With the ongoing shift to digital-first collaboration, they need flexible, inclusive technology. But given the sensitive content and nature of their work, they also have to comply with strict government regulations around data security and privacy, which can limit their software options.

So after extensive testing and co-creating with our customers, we’re launching GovSlack in July 2022. With GovSlack, government agencies and those they work with can enable their teams to seamlessly collaborate in their digital headquarters, while keeping security and compliance at the forefront. Here are some key features of GovSlack:

• Built to support key government security standards (FedRAMP High, DoD IL 4 and ITAR)*
• Runs in AWS GovCloud data centers, maintained by U.S. personnel
• Enables external collaboration with other GovSlack-using organizations through Slack Connect
• Provides access to your own set of encryption keys for advanced auditing and logging controls
• Allows permission and access controls at scale through Slack’s enterprise grade admin dashboard
• Includes a directory of curated applications (including DLP and eDiscovery apps) that can integrate with Slack

*GovSlack is currently pursuing FedRAMP High and DoD SRG IL4 compliance certifications.

And GovSlack is a natural companion to tools like Salesforce’s Government Cloud Plus, an instance of Salesforce Customer 360 designed for government organizations. With a CRM and collaboration platform that support compliance efforts, governments and their partners can achieve agency goals faster and deliver on constituent expectations.

The Army Software Factory’s digital command center

Just take, for example, the Army Software Factory (Army SWF). Adopting the agile methods of a startup, the Army SWF upskills soldiers with modern software development capabilities in order to build and deploy digital solutions to Army problems.

Like any successful organization, the Army SWF requires nimble, effective collaboration. But as a government entity, it also needs to follow stringent Department of Defense policies. So when the Army SWF was evaluating collaboration platforms, it sought a flexible solution that could foster productivity and camaraderie without sacrificing security or compliance efforts. In a word, GovSlack.

Organizations that work with the U.S. government can also be subject to strict federal regulations. That includes companies like Lockheed Martin, another pilot user of GovSlack.

The global security and aerospace company relies on Slack to connect its 114,000-person workforce spanning 400 facilities and 50 countries, according to Tim Lewis, Lockheed Martin’s director of digital workplace services. With GovSlack, Lockheed Martin will be able to bring more work into Slack, including projects with government partners.

Trusted app partners

GovSlack will also feature a directory of curated applications, including platform, security and compliance apps, categorized by certification level. That way, GovSlack users can easily find and enable integrations that align with their security requirements—like Okta, the leading user identity management provider.

“Government organizations have unique access and authentication needs,” says Katy Mann, Okta’s Vice President, Federal. “That means they need a trusted identity partner, and Okta has the power to enable efficient and secure connections at scale. We’re proud to serve as a GovSlack partner and look forward to supporting organizations as they deploy the new service.”

Box, the leading Content Cloud that enables organizations to accelerate business processes, power workplace collaboration, and protect their most valuable information, will be another available integration for GovSlack customers.

“Thousands of government agencies already trust Box with their most sensitive content, and now with GovSlack, agencies that require the highest levels of security and support for compliance will be able to leverage the power of the Box Content Cloud within their Slack workplace,” says Murtaza Masood, the managing director of state and local government at Box. “Using Box and Slack together to securely communicate and collaborate will help government customers simplify the flow of information internally and provide a deeper citizen engagement externally, taking the work out of work.”

Additional apps optimized to work with GovSlack will be available in the GovSlack app directory.

Availability

GovSlack can help fundamentally reshape how work gets done for government agencies and their partner organizations. For now, GovSlack will only be available in the U.S.

To learn more, visit slack.com/solutions/govslack. And if you’re interested in trying GovSlack, please contact us.