Posted on 03/31/2021 1:47:50 PM PDT by Mariner
The Pentagon announced that Microsoft has won a contract to build more than 120,000 custom HoloLens augmented-reality headsets for the U.S. Army. The contract could be worth up to $21.88 billion over 10 years, a Microsoft spokesperson told CNBC on Wednesday.
Microsoft shares moved higher following the announcement.
The deal shows Microsoft can generate meaningful revenue from a futuristic product resulting from years of research, beyond core areas such as operating systems and productivity software.
It follows a $480 million contract Microsoft received to give the Army prototypes of the Integrated Visual Augmented System, or IVAS, in 2018. The new deal will involve providing production versions.
The standard-issue HoloLens, which costs $3,500, enables people to see holograms overlaid over their actual environments and interact using hand and voice gestures. An IVAS prototype that a CNBC reporter tried out in 2019 displayed a map and a compass and had thermal imaging to reveal people in the dark. The system could also show the aim for a weapon.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
“we made a principled decision that we’re not going to withhold technology from institutions that we have elected in democracies to protect the freedoms we enjoy.”
Bravo Microsoft. You have successfully separated yourself from your competitors in tech.
After they’ve Discharged all of the Conservatives from the Military, those remaining will NEED “augmented-reality” to wipe their nose.
This will immediately change back if Republicans regain the White House.
The program was in place for the entirety of the Trump administration.
Prototypes were purchased in 2018.
$182,300 PER HEADSET? Give that salesman a performance bonus!
Southwest Airlines just placed an order 100 Boeing 737 Max planes. The planes list for $100 million. If SW paid $70 million per copy, that’s a $7 billion order. This headset order is more than three times that airplane order.
Something doesn’t add up.
https://pics.me.me/dont-worry-sir-im-from-the-internet-26309979.png
Over half of the National Guard either cannot pass the Army Physical Fitness Test or height weight standards. But that’s OK, we can fight a war virtually while on break from diversity training.
Bill ought to be happy. He’s a big Democrat. Maybe he can get some more money as part of the infrastructure spending bill.
Something doesn’t add up.
—
it does if you add in the kickbacks, bribes, and cost to ship units overseas to the PLA ...
They will fit right in with $10K toilet seats, $8K coffeemakers, $40 screws, etc., etc., etc., etc.
Yes, and in 2019 and 2020, Microsoft was debating the “responsibility” of “letting” the military have it. It was a big kerfluffle in the tech world.
I wonder if the government exercised the option for the “Toxic Masculinity,” “White Supremacy” and “Hate Whitey” add-on modules.
Great news. I was really concerned about Microsoft’s bottom line this year thankfully my tax dollars are going to help that struggling company
Augmented reality ? Maybe it will help all the Tranny freaks actually pass as women now.
To be fair, have you priced Microsoft phone support recently? That’s $4000 for each headset and two weeks or so of ‘unlimited’ support per each unit. :P
Like any Military procurement contract, there is much, much more than just the actual hardware in the final cost.
First of all, the contract is for up to $21.9B over ten years. The Army could very well spend less than $21.9B, but cannot spend more than that amount.
That total spend includes not only the initial procurement, but also spare parts, test and repair equipment, training, and ongoing factory support and software/hardware upgrades over the life of the contract.
And if these headsets can give a wide thermal or night vision view to the soldier, rather than the narrow 'soda straw' view of current NVGs, then this will be a game-changer not only for soldiers, but for helicopter and aircraft pilots as well.
Yes expensive. Hope it’s not as susceptible to viruses as most Microsoft products are.
Here’s a YouTube of China’s “security glasses”.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=uST2LbDC_9M
Now visualize what a police state could do with Hololens
Just wait for the blue screen of death.
There is also no doubt substantial enabling and custom software included in the price.
Still, that is a staggering contract price. I was ecstatic when we closed $5 million deals.
Any great tool on the battlefield is also a great tool for the police state.
The key for any society is to control what a crime is. It’s when the people lose control over criminal definition that real danger lurks. Even in the time of Ceasar.
It’s a test we are currently failing. Because right now it’s the mob who defines crime. Not thoughtful people.
You will have to replace them every 2 years and if you are doing something they will stop working for an hour to autoinstall “critical updates”
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