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Sovereign AI for Pacific defense

TOKYO and PALO ALTO, Calif., March 12, 2026 /PRNewswire-±¬ÁϹ«Éçapp/ -- Mattermost, Inc., the leader in secure, sovereign collaboration for national security and critical infrastructure, today announced a major expansion of its operations in the Asia-Pacific region. The company has established a new subsidiary, Mattermost Japan KK, and appointed veteran technology executive Shigeru Harasawa as General Manager.

Operational Sovereignty for the Pacific Theater

As geopolitical tensions increase, the need for Operational Sovereignty—the ability to maintain command and control (C2) on independent, self-hosted infrastructure—has become a national security priority.

"Supporting allied defense in the Pacific requires an operational architecture that remains resilient when disconnected from the public internet," said Ian Tien, CEO of Mattermost. "With Mattermost on the Microsoft Azure Local platform, allied forces can operate on sovereign AI and infrastructure for rapid processing of sensitive information, real-time language translation and automated mission reporting at the tactical edge, ensuring that operational tempo is maintained even in contested environments."

Building on its deep partnership with Microsoft, Mattermost also unveiled "Mattermost Mission Operations for Microsoft," a purpose-built solution designed for allied defense operations across the Pacific. The offering provides a cyber-resilient, sovereign collaboration layer that ensures mission continuity even in contested or disconnected environments.

Introducing Mattermost Mission Operations for Microsoft

The new offering bridges the gap across enterprise productivity and airgapped operations. Key capabilities include:

• Mobile Security with Microsoft Intune: General Availability (GA) of Mattermost mobile applications for iOS, fully integrated with Microsoft Intune for mobile application management (MAM) in high-security environments.
• Deep M365 Integration: Seamless embedding of Mattermost into Microsoft Teams, Outlook, and Microsoft 365 applications, allowing users to integrate productivity tools on planet-scale platforms with mission-critical workflows and AI running in fully on-premises.
• Cyber Resilience & SOC Workflows: Advanced out-of-band incident response connecting resilient, isolated communication and workflow environments with Microsoft Sentinel and Microsoft Defender, enabling security operations centers (SOCs) to speed coordination during primary network breaches and outages.
• Tactical Edge & DDIL Excellence: Support for (formerly Azure Stack HCI) to enable deployments in Denied, Disrupted, Intermittent, and Limited (DDIL) environments. Azure Local is cloud-connected infrastructure that can be deployed at users' physical locations and under the users' operational control.

Sovereign AI on Azure Local

The release introduces Sovereign AI capabilities running locally on the Microsoft Azure Local platform. This allows defense organizations to leverage large language models (LLMs) without data leaving their controlled environment. Mattermost Mission Operations for Microsoft use cases include:

• Automated Situation Reports (SITREPs): Instant drafting of mission updates from real-time channel data.
• Briefing Hand-offs: AI-generated summaries for shift changes and command transitions.
• Real-time Translation: Secure, local language translation for Mission Partner Environment (MPE) collaboration.
• Workflow Automation: Intelligent routing of tactical data to expedite the "sensor-to-effector" loop.
• ompartmentalization of information across coalition partners
• Attribute-Based Access Control (ABAC) to enable complex security requirements

Leadership in Japan

The establishment of Mattermost Japan KK marks a pivotal investment in the region. Shigeru Harasawa, who previously held senior leadership roles at Oracle, DataRobot and IBM, will lead the subsidiary. His extensive experience in scaling AI and enterprise data platforms in Japan will be instrumental in supporting the Japanese national security community.

A Stronger Microsoft Ecosystem

The collaboration underscores the synergy between Microsoft's hyperscale infrastructure and Mattermost's specialized sovereign capabilities.

"A robust partner ecosystem is vital for the modern defense mission," said A.T. Ball, Microsoft Senior Director for Defense and Intelligence. "Mattermost's ability to extend Microsoft investments and Azure Local into the most challenging tactical environments ensures that our defense customers have the resilient, secure, and AI-enabled tools they need to maintain decision advantage at the edge."

About Mattermost

Mattermost provides secure collaboration, workflow, and AI for national security and critical infrastructure. Trusted by governments, enterprises, and militaries worldwide, Mattermost enables organizations to deploy on sovereign infrastructure, ensuring they retain total control over their most sensitive data and operations.

Deploy anywhere. Control everything. Visit to learn more.

Contact:

Mattermost Japan KK (Japan)

Contact: Shigeru Harasawa

Email: [email protected]

Mattermost, Inc. (Global)

Contact: Leigh Dow

Email: [email protected]

Media Contact

Leigh Dow, Mattermost, 1 (650) 667-8512, [email protected],  

SOURCE Mattermost