AWS, Azure, Google Cloud or OCI? Six Questions Before Choosing a Platform for Government Workloads
Most government teams don't start a cloud decision from a blank page. There's an existing Microsoft agreement, a security office with opinions, a team that knows one platform better than the others, and a deadline. AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) can all run government workloads well. The useful question is which one fits this workload, this team, and this authorization path.
Here are the six questions we work through with agencies and prime contractor teams before anyone commits to a platform.
1. What authorization does the workload actually need?
Start with the data, not the vendor. Federal workloads typically need a FedRAMP-authorized service at the right impact level (Low, Moderate, or High). Defense workloads add DoD Impact Levels (IL2, IL4, IL5, IL6). All four major providers offer dedicated government regions or environments — AWS GovCloud (US), Azure Government, Google Cloud's Assured Workloads, and OCI's U.S. Government Cloud — but not every service is authorized at every level in every region.
Confirm the specific services you plan to use against the current FedRAMP Marketplace listing and the provider's own authorization pages. A platform that is "FedRAMP High" overall may still have individual services that are not yet in scope.
2. What does the organization already own?
Existing agreements change the math. An agency with a large Microsoft Enterprise Agreement may already have Microsoft 365, Entra ID, and Azure commitments that make Azure Government the natural first stop. A team running Oracle databases may find licensing benefits on OCI. Existing AWS accounts, tooling, and training investments carry real value too. List what you already pay for before comparing list prices.
3. Where does identity live?
Identity is the hardest thing to move later. If users already sign in through Entra ID or an existing identity provider with PIV/CAC integration, plan how each cloud platform will federate with it. The platform that integrates cleanly with your current identity and access controls usually costs less to secure and operate.
4. What can the team operate on day one?
A well-designed environment the team cannot run is a risk. Be honest about current skills. If your engineers have years of AWS experience, a first Azure project needs training time and extra review built into the schedule. Infrastructure as Code with Terraform can reduce the gap across platforms, but each provider still has its own networking, identity, and logging model to learn.
5. How will the work be paid for and monitored?
Cloud spending grows quietly. Decide early how accounts or subscriptions map to programs and funding lines, which tags are required, who receives budget alerts, and who can approve new services. Each platform has native cost tools; what matters is that someone owns the reports and acts on them every month.
6. What is the exit plan?
No one plans to leave, but contracts end and requirements change. Keep data in documented, exportable formats, define infrastructure in code, and avoid wiring core business logic into services that exist on only one platform unless the benefit is clear and documented. A short written exit plan makes recompetes and audits easier.
A practical way to decide
Score each candidate platform against these six questions for the specific workload — not the agency as a whole. It is common, and often sensible, to run different workloads on different platforms. Write down the reasons for the choice; that record helps the security office, the contracting officer, and whoever operates the system next.
CHUSAM LLC helps government and prime contractor teams compare platforms, plan migrations, and build documented cloud foundations across AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, and OCI. Discuss your workload or review our government capabilities.
This article is general guidance, not a compliance determination. Always confirm current authorizations with the provider and your authorizing official.