Whether they’re ready or not, America’s fighting men and women are about to be powered by Windows 8. Business Insider reports that Microsoft (MSFT) has just scored a major win by signing a three-year software licensing deal with the United States Department of Defense that will deliver Windows 8 to 75% of its 450,000 employees. Business Insider notes that this new deal marks “the first time that three major DOD agencies — the Army, Air Force, and Defense Information Systems Agency — have entered into a single agreement with Microsoft,” so this really will be a big boost for the new operating system. Of course, since Windows 8 is such a dramatic shift away from the traditional Windows interface, it’s likely that Microsoft will need to undertake a massive training program to make sure that Pentagon employees understand the ins and outs of the operating system. The last thing we want to see is a raid on al-Qaeda botched because someone on the support team was too busy looking for the Start button.
Get ready to love touchscreens, soldier: Pentagon signs three-year Windows 8 licensing deal
Published Jan 4th, 2013 8:02PM EST
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Brad Reed has written about technology for over eight years at BGR.com and Network World. Prior to that, he wrote freelance stories for political publications such as AlterNet and the American Prospect. He has a Master's Degree in Business and Economics Journalism from Boston University.
