At the International Chiefs of Police (IACP) conference held earlier this week in Chicago, Microsoft announced that it will be providing cloud-based service for a number of key law enforcement technology companies.

First, Microsoft and TASER announced a partnership that will integrate TASER’s Evidence.com solution and Axon camera systems with the Microsoft Azure cloud platform and Windows 10 devices, providing a connected approach for capturing, analyzing, and archiving video and other data to help agencies better manage evidence, solve ongoing investigations, and protect citizens from imminent threats.

TASER said Microsoft and TASER’s global commitment to security and privacy compliance will provide law enforcement agencies with the peace of mind to entrust both companies with the most sensitive of data. In the United States, Microsoft is the only major cloud provider that provides a contractual commitment to the FBI’s CJIS Security Policy with its law enforcement customers.

“We’re incredibly excited to announce our partnership with Microsoft, a recognized public sector leader with valued products across police agencies’ technical needs,” says TASER founder and CEO Rick Smith. “Microsoft Azure is well known for its industry-leading security and reliability and, with it, we can provide the most secure and compliant cloud capability to our customers. I’m also excited to announce that the new partnership offers future opportunities for Axon customers to leverage even more cutting-edge technologies with Microsoft’s expertise in data analytics, machine learning and computer vision.”

Microsoft said, in addition to its TASER partnership, Panasonic, NC4, Motorola, and Morpho.

“Data storage concerns are a major barrier to wider adoption of mobile video evidence solutions – each camera can create up to 1 Gb of data for every hour of video shot, and must be kept secure for evidentiary use and retained indefinitely,” said Greg Peratt, Vice President, Panasonic System Communications Company of North America. “With Microsoft’s security-enhanced cloud storage solution paired with our best-in-class camera hardware and evidence management offerings, public sector agencies now have available a scalable, flexible, cost-effective and comprehensive solution from two trusted providers to take advantage of the benefits of video evidence.”

 “Capturing, analyzing, and archiving video data is becoming more important than ever in the public sector, but harnessing this innovation should not come at the expense of security, flexibility and cost-effectiveness,” said Kirk Arthur, managing director, worldwide public safety and justice, Microsoft. “With thousands of law enforcement and other public sector organizations across the country depending on their technology every day to help keep their citizens safe, Panasonic is an ideal collaborator for our mission to modernize government’s approach to IT to be more responsive, productive, and effective.”