Pentagon Awards Microsoft and Oracle Software Contracts Valued at Nearly $700 Million

While smartphones and tablets may represent the future of computing, the Defense Information Systems Agency and the Navy just invested $679 million in old-fashioned software from Microsoft and Oracle Corp.

Yesterday, DISA awarded Microsoft a five year contract with a total value of $412.2 million for technical and support services throughout the Defense Department, a pact that includes access to the company’s closely-held software source code.

The contract also provides Defense users with access to Microsoft consultants as well as software and product developers.

On June 14, the Navy closed a $227 million, five year deal with DLT Solutions, based in Herndon, Va., for license and maintenance of a variety of Oracle software products. Navy and Marine Corps officials say the contract will save the services $60 million over the life of the contract, according to a news release from Navy Chief Information Officer Terry Halvorsen.

The DLT contract provides the Navy and Marines unlimited use of the following core products: Oracle Database Enterprise Edition, five database options (Data Base Life Cycle Management, Advanced Security, Diagnostics Pack, Tuning Pack and Partitioning), and WebLogic Suite. All Navy and Marine organizations must use the DLT contract to acquire Oracle software and services.