Microsoft has announced that the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), one of the largest enterprises anywhere, plans to deploy 4 million seats of Windows 10.
The US DoD is to move 4 million devices to Windows 10 within a year. That’s an aggressive timeline, and one that reflects confidence in Microsoft’s latest operating system and a need to move to more secure software.
“From laptops to desktops to mobile devices, including Surface devices, the DoD is targeting its Windows 10 upgrade for completion in a year, an unprecedented move for a customer with the size and complexity of the DoD,†says Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft corporate vice president of Windows and Devices Marketing.
The Department of Defense’s intention to move to Windows 10 began in earnest in November when Terry Halvorsen, CIO for the DoD, issued a memo directing all combatant commands, services agencies and field activities to rapidly deploy Windows 10 to improve the department’s cybersecurity, lower the cost of IT and streamline the IT operating environment, Medhi says.
Further demonstrating a strong vote of confidence for the platform, Windows 10 has been certified as meeting specific government criteria and standards. The National Information Assurance Program, the arm of the U.S. government responsible for evaluating commercial IT products for use in national security systems has certified Windows 10 against the Mobile Device Fundamentals Common Criteria protection profile.
Additionally, Microsoft’s Surface family of devices have been certified and are available through the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) Unified Capabilities Approved Products List and can be easily worked into deployment plans.
“This means that Surface has met the strict security and interoperability requirements required by the DoD,†Medhi says.
