Snowflake Inc. says it’s ready to begin its military service after achieving a key authorization that certifies its cloud data warehouse technologies are suitable for storing sensitive, but not classified, information.

The company said today it has achieved Department of Defense Impact Level 5 Provisional Authorization on AWS GovCloud US-West. It’s an essential designation that signifies its platform can provide the highest level of security for “Controlled Unclassified Information” within the DOD and related government agencies.

The announcement comes on the heels of the launch of Snowflake Public Sector Inc., a dedicated subsidiary set up to serve customers in defense and federal, state and local governments and educational agencies.

With the IL5 PA designation, Snowflake is now ready to cater to the DOD in a number of ways, such as providing advanced data analytics and generative artificial intelligence-powered insights. It says the DOD can use its platform to enhance mission-critical operations and accelerate its digital transformation.

IL5 PA certifies Snowflake’s platform to be used by every agency within the DOD, including the U.S. Army, Navy, Space Force, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Combatant Commands. It also means that DOD partners, contractors and various state and federal agencies can take advantage of its capabilities too.

Snowflake Head of Corporate Government Relations Matthew Rose said the DOD needs the most secure, data-centric solutions to be able to enhance its readiness and drive more innovation. “Achieving IL5 authorization underscores Snowflake’s commitment to providing these solutions to Servicemembers, customers, and industry partners,” he added.

By using Snowflake’s platform, the DOD will be able to accelerate its migration to the cloud and leverage its advanced capabilities in areas such as AI and machine learning, financial management, enterprise business operations, logistics and supply chains, cybersecurity and open-source intelligence.

Snowflake’s IL5 PA, along with the launch of Snowflake Public Sector, should help the company to massively expand its presence in the government industry, for it’s now qualified to meet the strictest requirements with regard to storing highly sensitive data. Already, multiple DOD partners and contractors have taken notice.

Constellation Research Inc. analyst Michael Ni told SiliconANGLE that the announcement is a key step forward for Snowflake as it attempts to provide a secure and scalable data infrastructure for government and defense workloads. Agencies are likely to welcome the news, he added, as the ability to support Controlled Unclassified Information with built-in governance, advanced analytics and AI is increasingly critical.

“This opens a major market for Snowflake, signalling a push into a space long dominated by more government-native players like AWS and Azure,” Ni said. “But as with anything new, while Snowflake offers modern architecture, CIOs should validate operational maturity to deliver, including incident response, government-specific SLAs, and cleared support staff.”

Graham Evans, senior vice president of Booz Allen, one of the U.S. military’s most prominent defense contractors, said his company is dedicated to advancing its defense and national security missions. To do this, he said it needs to use the most cutting-edge technologies available.

“Snowflake’s recent IL5 authorization marks a significant milestone, and we look forward to strengthening our partnership to deliver secure, scalable cloud solutions for our clients,” he added.

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