It’s over a year that Microsoft ceased support for its age old Windows XP, but the OS is still bringing in money for the company.
The US Navy’s Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) has reportedly signed a $9.1 million contract extension with Microsoft to stay on Windows XP. The deal could eventually grow up to $30.8 million if it extends to 2017.
The contract will see Microsoft offering extended support, critical fixes and software patches for Windows XP, Office 2003, Exchange 2003, and Windows Server 2003. In addition to providing patches, Microsoft will also provide support and training for dealing with problems related to these products.
Redmond discontinued support for Microsoft XP, Microsoft Office 2003, and Microsoft Exchange 2003 in April 2014 and for Microsoft Server 2003 a few months later.
The Navy began shifting away from XP in 2013, but as of May it still had approximately 100,000 workstations running XP or the other software, some of which are connected to SIPRnet, the US government’s network for classified information.
“The Navy relies on a number of legacy applications and programs that are reliant on legacy Windows products,” said Steven Davis, a spokesman for the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command. “Until those applications and programs are modernized or phased out, this continuity of services is required to maintain operational effectiveness.”
“A plan for migrating to current and supported capabilities has been developed and is being executed,” Davis said.
It is to be noted that the U.S. Navy isn’t alone in still relying on age-old Windows XP. In fact, according to research firm NetMarketshare, which tracks OS usage, Windows XP still accounts for roughly 14 percent of the total desktop OS market. That’s more than the market share of Microsoft’s latest operating system dubbed Windows 8.1. However, these figures are expected to go down with the Windows 10 official launch scheduled for July 29.
