Microsoft's $22,000,000,000 Bailout from President Biden is Now at Risk
Recent: More Microsoft Bailouts From President Biden's Government Before Leaving Office (Donald Trump also used to bail out Microsoft, several times in fact; we're not picking on Biden in particular)
For the Redmond-based company it is a very bad day or week, hiding the losses and reportedly losing one of its last remaining sources of income: the US government, i.e. the US taxpayer (or national debt).
Microsoft is no stranger to HoloLens controversy because it already fired all its staff when I bought the company that had made it, there is sexual misconduct at the very top, and in recent years distinguished people in the military expressed unease - to put it politely - at the deal nobody really consulted them about, trying to imposed HoloLens on troops. Some who tried it said it worsened their performance, made them feel sick, and basically got in their way.
We now learn that "Microsoft could lose its $22 billion IVAS US Army contract, as 80 competitors look to take the HoloLens' place". To quote:
Recently, the US Army announced that it would be considering new XR hardware partners for its Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) initiative roadmap to create an MR headset for in-the-field armed forces. Over the past few years, the US Army has worked with Microsoft and its HoloLens division to create a bespoke headset purpose-built to boost military tactics and awareness.However, recent reports highlight how the US Army may turn to a new XR hardware partner to develop IVAS: Next, the sophomore iteration of the military immersive head-mounted device.
According to the reports, US Army officials and decision-makers are busy exploring new partner options for the IVAS: Next, including a significant contract. For Microsoft, the US Army IVAS contract reached an estimated $22 billion, a substantial figure for any headset vendor.
At the same time, Microsoft’s HoloLens and Mixed Reality divisions took significant hits over the past year as Microsoft proactively downsized its focus on XR. Despite a reduced emphasis on immersive technologies, Microsoft is not keen to let the US Army contract go.
Is HoloLens dead? If this deal falls through, then it might be. █