The US Department of Defense (DoD) has jumped aboard the Windows 8 bandwagon at last, after issuing a press release last Friday which confirmed that different sections of the military have started to make use of the Windows 8 operating system, in addition to plans for implementation of upcoming Microsoft software products in the coming years. In fact, the DoD also signed a new three year software contract with Microsoft which is worth a grand total of $617 million.
According to the press release, “Under the agreement, the Army, Air Force and DISA (Defense Information Systems Agency) can begin using the newest versions of Microsoft products, including Microsoft Office 2013, SharePoint 2013 and Windows 8, officials said, adding that Office 2013 provides enhanced security and content management tools.The package has been customized to meet the specific security needs of the Defense Department.”
The DoD says that $617 million is the best price offered by Microsoft to date, and at that price point, the US Army would have saved $70 million annually throughout the inked three year contract.