It's one of those inside-baseball arguments that will make your head hurt if you spend too much time trying to sort through the details, claims and counterclaims. ... Trust me, I've spent too much time on it today.
Microsoft and others say Google has been misleading - if not outright lying -- about its having a key government security certification for its Google Apps for Government service.
Google unequivocally insists it that did not mislead anyone, never mind lie.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which is both the certification authority and a soon-to-be user of the Google service, had this to say in a statement e-mailed to me today:
"GSA certified the 'Google Apps Premier' environment as FISMA compliant in July of 2010 and will be moving to the system later this year. Google Apps for Government was not referenced in that certification and accreditation package."
Aha! Google Apps for Government wasn't even mentioned when Google got its FISMA merit badge. End of story. Google lied.
But then the GSA statement continues:
"Google Apps for Government uses the formerly named Google Apps Premier infrastructure but adds additional controls in order to meet requirements requested by specific government agencies. FISMA guidance states that significant changes to a system should trigger a reaccreditation. GSA is currently working with Google on an updated certification and accreditation package titled 'Google Apps Cloud.' This new package includes additional applications such as Google Groups and specifically defines Google Apps for Government."
Note the word "reaccreditation" and the phrase "updated certification and accreditation."
Now ask yourself: How can there be a reaccreditation or an updated certification if there hadn't been an accreditation or certification in the first place?
Some - the charitable - might call that wiggle room.
Others will see only lawyer-speak.
And everyone from now on should ask Google what it really means when it says that one of its products has this or that certification. Are we talking real-deal certification? Or the wiggle-room kind?
(Update: A GSA official offers an even stronger endorsement of Google's position.)
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