Running Microsoft Teams in GCC High: What to Expect
Running Microsoft Teams in GCC High: What to Expect
Blog Article
For many government contractors, Microsoft Teams is the hub of day-to-day collaboration. But once you move into GCC High, Teams looks and behaves a bit differently. The platform is designed to meet the compliance needs of CMMC, ITAR, and FedRAMP High—but that added security also brings limitations.
If you’re planning a move, here’s what you need to know about using Teams in GCC High—and how expert GCC High migration services can help you set it up right.
1. External Communication Is Limited
In GCC High:
Guest access is typically disabled or highly restricted
Federation with external domains must be explicitly allowed
Third-party Teams apps (like Zoom or Trello) are mostly unavailable
✅ Plan for internal-first collaboration and find secure workarounds for partner interactions.
2. App Integrations Are Restricted
Unlike Commercial Teams, GCC High:
Does not support most third-party integrations
Requires vetting and FedRAMP authorization for connected apps
Limits certain Power Automate and custom connector capabilities
✅ You’ll want to audit existing Teams workflows and retool them for secure operation.
3. Compliance Is Baked Into the Platform
Teams in GCC High includes:
Native support for eDiscovery, retention, and audit logging
Tight integration with DLP, Microsoft Purview, and Compliance Center
Data residency within U.S. government infrastructure
✅ Your collaboration platform becomes an extension of your compliance program.
4. Teams Meeting Features May Vary
Some limitations include:
Delayed rollout of new features compared to Commercial
Limited support for meeting apps and webinar extensions
Slightly reduced feature parity across mobile and desktop
✅ While core collaboration remains solid, advanced features may need alternative workflows.
5. Setup Requires Precision
To use Teams effectively in GCC High:
Identity and device management must be configured first
Governance policies (naming, access, lifecycle) need to be defined
Teams must be structured to reflect departments and security zones
✅ GCC High migration services help you plan, deploy, and optimize Teams for secure collaboration.