Microsoft recently received Federal Information Security Management Act certification for cloud computing data centers — about five months after Google gained approval.

“Meeting the requirements of FISMA is an important security requirement for U.S. Federal agencies,” Microsoft’s Senior Director of Risk and Compliance Mark Estberg wrote in a Dec. 2 Global Foundation Services blog post.

However, Microsoft’s hosted Exchange and Online services are still in the process of getting approved for FISMA certification.

Microsoft recently reworked its cloud services and renamed it “Office 365.” Office 365 is currently in beta form and includes Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Exchange, Lync Online and other services. Office 365 will be available beginning in the first half of next year.

And while Microsoft was celebrating its approval, the General Services Administration announced plans to become the first federal agency to move its email and collaboration tools to Google’s cloud-based service, Google Apps.

Microsoft said it was “disappointed” with the GSA’s selection.

“While we are disappointed we will not have the opportunity to meet the GSA’s internal messaging needs, we will continue to serve its productivity needs through the familiar experience of Microsoft Office and we look forward to understanding more about GSA’s selection criteria – especially around security and architecture,” Micrsoft wrote on its Why Microsoft blog.

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