New York City Cops Will Replace Their 36,000 Windows Phones With iPhones (theverge.com)

The New York City Police Department says it will give up its 36,000 Windows phones and transition to iPhones by the end of the year. The Verge reports: The switch is prompted in part by news in July that Microsoft was ending support for Windows Phone 8.1, which a large percentage of all Windows-powered phones are still using. It's a predictable end to the Windows phone, considering that its market share had already slipped below 1 percent at the time the police department adopted its phones last year. The ill-fated decision to go with the Windows phone was made solely by its NYPD deputy commissioner for IT, according to The New York Post, and apparently did not receive further judgment before implementing the program. The Windows models were Nokia Lumia 830 and Lumia 640 XL, equipped with special 911 apps, case management apps, and the ability to receive assignments. They were purchased as part of a $160 million initiative to modernize the NYPD, which has been around since 1845. The new business for Microsoft's phones was clearly not enough to keep Windows Phone alive.

Comments

I hope they get a discount

[bobstreo]

Or buy older iPhones. Because that's a lot of money...

I know it's New York, but...

[GerryGilmore]

...just whoindahell could be dumb enough to think that Windows phone would ever last? Hell, us North Georgia Rednecks(TM) stayed away from them in droves! Christ, that one sale must have been half of all Windows phone sales. What maroons!!

Re:I know it's New York, but...

[Kjella]

...just whoindahell could be dumb enough to think that Windows phone would ever last? Hell, us North Georgia Rednecks(TM) stayed away from them in droves! Christ, that one sale must have been half of all Windows phone sales. What maroons!!

Well, assuming this was a great modernization I assume she's coming from a world of mostly Microsoft laptops/tablets/servers and that this was her and their first real adventure into smartphones. They probably have a good business relationship and don't mind being a Microsoft shop. They needed a platform to run their custom apps, how many apps the app store has is less of a concern and they probably got a good discount. And Microsoft has in general offered 5+5 years of support on the desktop, they've rarely left their business customers hanging. In isolation the business case might have looked decent until you take a big step back and realize the platform is dying and there's a very real chance Microsoft will pull out of the market entirely and mobile phones aren't like laptops where you just tank them up with your OS image. I'm not saying it was a good decision but I can understand how you'd make a near-sighted decision like that.

Re:If Jessica Tisch keeps her job

[93 Escort Wagon]

No kidding. That was such a breathtakingly stupid decision she honestly deserves to lose her job because of it.

Re:If Jessica Tisch keeps her job

[roc97007]

I wonder how much she got from Microsoft.

Great quote from TFA

[93 Escort Wagon]

I loved this...

"Nobody purchases 36,000 phones based on the judgment of one person," a source said. "I don’t care if you’re Jesus f--king Christ, you get a panel of experts."

Re:If Jessica Tisch keeps her job

[youngone]

She'll be getting a pussy pass on this one

I don't think it's a pussy pass she will get, she has inherited privilege due to several generations of money and the political connections that come with money.
She is a friend of the Mayor's daughter, which explains how she got the job in the first place, despite having no experience.