Microsoft wants the government to use its AI tools
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Microsoft is doubling down on government partnerships, rolling out steep discounts on its cloud and AI products, including offering its flagship AI assistant Copilot at no cost to select federal agencies. On Tuesday, the General Services Administration (GSA) announced its latest cloud services agreement with Microsoft, dubbed the OneGov deal. The arrangement positions Microsoft alongside tech rivals OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google — all of whom are aggressively discounting their AI offerings to gain a foothold in the federal market. The move signals both a competitive play against rivals and a broader shift in how the federal government adopts next-generation AI technologies.
Under the agreement, Microsoft will provide Microsoft 365, Azure Cloud Services, Dynamics 365, and its Cybersecurity tool, Entra, at a discounted rate for up to three years. But the feature capturing everyone’s attention is that Microsoft is offering Copilot, Microsoft’s AI assistant, free to Microsoft 365 government customers for 12 months.
Billions in Savings, But Bigger Stakes Ahead
The GSA estimates the deal could generate $3.1 billion in savings in its first year alone. But it doesn’t stop there, Microsoft is also investing $20 million in training and implementation workshops, classes and online courses, signaling it doesn’t just want adoption, it wants deep integration through adoption.
Chris Barry, Microsoft’s Corporate VP for U.S. Public Sector Industries, framed it as part of a broader mission “For more than four decades, Microsoft has been privileged to support the U.S. government’s most vital missions. Today, as we stand at the forefront of the AI era, we reaffirm our dedication to serving as a trusted partner.”
If Microsoft’s projections are accurate, the combined services and support could deliver over $6 billion in total value across three years. The OneGov deal is timely in that it comes amid a wave of low-cost AI pilots from competitors:
- OpenAI & Anthropic: Offering models for $1 per agency per year.
- Google: Launching Gemini for Government AI platform at $0.47 per agency per year.
By contrast, Microsoft is leveraging its existing FedRAMP High authorizations for Azure and Microsoft 365 as bridge in. This gives Microsoft a compliance advantage — something newcomers like OpenAI and Anthropic still rely on Microsoft partnerships to navigate.
Why This Matters: Beyond Discounts
The real play here is long-term lock-in. Once agencies adopt Microsoft’s ecosystem — from productivity to cybersecurity to AI copilots — the switching costs will grow significantly. This aligns with lessons from Peter Drucker’s principle of “building customer dependence on your strengths.” Microsoft’s strengths here are scale and compliance infrastructure.
For government leaders, the challenge becomes one of avoiding over reliance on a single vendor, even as cost savings drive short-term adoption. OpenAI has already indicated agencies will need to transition into ChatGPT Enterprise deals, while Anthropic says it will seek “balanced affordability.” Microsoft has yet to confirm its long-term pricing model.
Key Takeaway
The OneGov deal marks a pivotal moment in government AI adoption, not just for its immediate cost savings but for the precedent its setting. First, AI is becoming a utility in federal workflows and second, whoever wins the deep integration war, wins. Microsoft is using discounts and trust capital to cement itself as the government’s AI backbone.