Key Takeaways:
- Cost and compliance requirements should guide the decision between Government and Commercial Cloud.
- Salesforce Government Cloud is designed to meet stringent security and compliance requirements for U.S. government agencies and contractors.
- Commercial Cloud offers a broader set of capabilities, AppExchange products, and industry-specific solutions.
- Government Cloud ensures data residency within the U.S. and provides enhanced security, including FedRAMP compliance and CMMC considerations.
- Some applications available in Commercial Cloud are not FedRAMP-approved and may require special approvals for use in Government Cloud.
This blog is intended to help customers answer the question – How do I determine if I need Commercial Cloud or Government Cloud? To answer this question, you must consider a few additional questions with your CISO and C3PAO.
What is the difference between Salesforce Commercial Cloud and Salesforce Government Cloud?
Salesforce Commercial Cloud is the standard Salesforce instance available to most customers. This is the suite of products that Salesforce has been building since its inception. These products include almost everything that Salesforce has built or purchased and integrated into the ecosystem over approximately the past 25 years.
Salesforce Commercial Cloud refers to Salesforce Sales or Service Cloud products that are not provisioned with the Government Cloud security infrastructure. Salesforce Commercial Cloud is geared towards commercial customers, such as retail, financial services and healthcare customers, but can also be used for public sector customers. Before the introduction of Government Cloud, all customers were on the Salesforce Cloud, also known as Commercial Cloud.
Salesforce Government Cloud (GovCloud) is a dedicated instance of Salesforce’s multi-tenant public cloud infrastructure, specifically isolated for use by U.S. federal, state, and local government customers, U.S. government contractors, and Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDCs). Salesforce uses infrastructure provided by AWS GovCloud, which offers robust security capabilities for hosting Customer Data submitted to Salesforce Government Cloud Plus’s Covered Services.
Salesforce Government Cloud is built on the following core principles:
- Regulatory Compliance: Meets stringent security and compliance requirements, such as FedRAMP (for U.S. federal agencies), HIPAA (for healthcare), CMMC, and NIST SP 800-171.
- Data Residency: Ensures that data is stored within the continental United States, addressing data sovereignty concerns.
- Isolation: Logically isolates Government Cloud instances from commercial ones, securing sensitive government data.
- Dedicated Support: Provides specialized assistance tailored to government agencies.
- Security Focus: Emphasizes security, access controls, and data protection, particularly for Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI), Federal Contract Information (FCI), and Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
What Salesforce features are available within GovCloud? Which Salesforce AppExchange Products are Compatible?
Salesforce Commercial Cloud often releases new features and enhancements earlier than Salesforce Government Cloud. Salesforce Commercial Cloud also offers a wide range of customization options, third-party integrations, and applications from the Salesforce AppExchange. Salesforce Government Cloud is not very far behind, however, customers should work internally with business stakeholders to understand the capabilities necessary within GovCloud. New and existing features are thoroughly vetted against compliance and security policies before they are released.
Some Salesforce products available in Commercial Cloud but are interoperable but not authorized in Government Cloud are:
- CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote)
- Heroku
- High Velocity Sales
- Einstein Activity Capture
- Service Cloud Voice
- Revenue Intelligence
- B2B Commerce
Certain Salesforce AppExchange Applications are also not authorized within Government Cloud, including:
- HubSpot Connector
- DocuSign eSignature for Salesforce
- ZoomInfo Connector
- Conga Composer
Commercial Cloud vs. Government Cloud: Which One Do You Need?
As a U.S. Government Contractor or Supplier trying to acquire and build Salesforce applications, the question of using Commercial Cloud vs. Government Cloud is inevitable. The answer depends on several factors, including:
- Is government-related FCI, PII, or CUI data stored in Salesforce?
- What compliance and security standards must be met (FedRAMP, CMMC, NIST SP 800-171)?
- Are there contractual requirements for FedRAMP-approved products?
- Does Salesforce need to integrate with other Government Cloud applications?
- Are there cost considerations that impact the decision?
Data Security Considerations
If sensitive government-related FCI, PII, or CUI (Controlled Unclassified Information) is stored in Salesforce, the agency you serve may require FedRAMP authorization and ensure data does not leave the Government Cloud boundary.
Salesforce Government Cloud offers encryption at rest as a standard feature, with the option to add another layer of encryption at the application level if needed.
Many security controls can also be implemented in Salesforce Commercial Cloud. However, data residency and federal data isolation are not options in Salesforce Commercial Cloud. Some controls may require additional products like Salesforce Shield for both Commercial and Government Clouds.
Costs Associated With Government Cloud vs. Commercial
Setting compliance, data residency, and isolation aside, most core Salesforce products like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Experience Cloud have near parity between Commercial and Government Cloud.
On the flip side, if applications like CPQ and Commerce Cloud need to be installed for Salesforce Government Cloud, it is important to note that these applications may have components outside the FedRAMP boundary and may exchange some metadata to enable some functions. This can be a critical compliance consideration and may require additional approvals.
Assessing Compliance Requirements
If your organization is subject to compliance standards like FedRAMP, CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification), or NIST SP 800-171, you may need to work with a C3PAO (CMMC Third-Party Assessment Organization) to confirm compliance requirements and determine the appropriate Salesforce instance.
Do You Store Data Related to the U.S. Government?
If your organization stores sensitive product, customer, or service-related information tied to the U.S. Government, such as design documents or schematics, a Salesforce Government Cloud instance may be required—but exceptions exist based on the agencies served and data stored.
Vectr Solutions Can Help You Implement Secure and Compliant GovCloud Solutions
Vectr Solutions can partner with you to evaluate, design, and implement secure, compliant Salesforce Government Cloud solutions.
The primary differences between Government and Commercial Cloud relate to regulatory compliance, data storage requirements, and the availability of certain applications and products. Our team understands these nuances and can guide you toward the right choice, ensuring compliance with government regulations while optimizing your Salesforce environment for efficiency and security.
Contact a Vectr Solutions expert today to discuss your GovCloud needs, ensure compliance, and optimize your Salesforce environment for government contracting success.