14 DAY TRIAL // The US Department of Defense planned to upgrade 4 million devices to Windows 10 as part of a transition supposed to conclude by January 2017, but the Army needs more time to complete the migration.
Army Chief Information Officer Lt. Gen. Robert Ferrell has revealed that the Windows 10 upgrade process is now scheduled to complete in the second quarter of 2017 instead of January 2017, so the Army needs approximately six more months to move to Windows 10.
And even if the deadline is extended, the Army still says that there are computers that might require even more time because of the hardware upgrades that need to be made before installing Windows 10. Furthermore, there is software that might not work as expected on Windows 10, so additional time for moving all machines to the new operating system will be a must.
“In Europe now we are focused on the early adopters. I think we are testing about 13 instruments now and in [the United States] about the same. I think by… the second quarter of next year we’ll have Europe completed with the transition and then we will focus on [the United States,” Ferrell is quoted as saying by Federal News Radio.
Microsoft engineers worked with Army experts for smooth upgrades
In the case of legacy systems where more work needs to be done, the Army cannot provide a specific deadline for the upgrade and says that the final costs of the transition to Windows 10 are very likely to be increased. No specifics or estimates have been provided, though.
“As we begin our controlled rollout of Windows 10, we will collect and analyze these cost drivers, which will inform our budget program objective memorandum cycle and ensure we have the resources needed to complete the transition,” an Army spokesman has said.
Microsoft engineers worked together with Army experts to ensure a smooth upgrade process for a number of PCs, but also to find ways to migrate PCs with software that might not be supported, but the transition is still hitting roadblocks that could push the deadline half a year back.