The New York Police Department has confirmed it will begin transitioning to iPhones for its 36,000 police officers in the fall, less than one year after completing a rollout of Windows Phones to its police force.

NYPD windows phone

Image: ABC7 Eyewitness News - WABC-TV New York

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology, said "improvements in Apple controls" will enable the department to "responsibly and cost effectively move its mobility initiative to the Apple platform."

When the NYPD chose Windows Phone devices in 2014, Tisch said "neither iOS nor Android phones allowed it to cost-effectively utilize prior investment in custom Windows applications" that it had deployed at the time.

"Moreover, we assessed that the Windows platform would be most effective at achieving our goal of securing 36,000 devices that would be used for sensitive law enforcement operations," added Tisch. "This was of paramount importance."

The NYPD said its contract provided for Nokia's Lumia smartphones at no cost. It also allowed for the department to replace the smartphones with devices of its choosing two years later, also at no cost.

As a result, the NYPD said its smartphone initiative is 45 percent under budget. Based on its current rate of spending, the department expects to stretch what was initially budgeted at two years of spending to more than four years.

Tisch said the NYPD's mobility initiative has made its police officers "smarter, faster, and more agile" in their response to 911 calls, with response times down more than 8 percent compared to an unspecified period.

Top Rated Comments

69Mustang Avatar
90 months ago
I can understand their likely decision to initially use Window's phones, as I'm sure they're running a Window's computer system. But even still, what IT or tech consultant, let alone internal folks at NYPD would have thought Window's phones were going to have a future? They've been losing marketshare for years, and the writing has been on the wall for a long time. I imagine the decision lined someone's pockets with a bunch of money or a future job opportunity at MS.
Based on the article's content, the decision to go with Windows phones was an easy one to make. The phones integrated with already deployed software. The phones came at no cost. The upgrades would come at no cost. It allowed them to come in 45% under budget. It has allowed them to stretch a 2 year budget into a 4 year budget. I'm at a loss to find anything wrong with their decision at the time in 2014. Also at a loss to see where someone's pocket got lined in that scenario.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
FelixDerKater Avatar
90 months ago
Based on the article's content, the decision to go with Windows phones was an easy one to make. The phones integrated with already deployed software. The phones came at no cost. The upgrades would come at no cost. It allowed them to come in 45% under budget. It has allowed them to stretch a 2 year budget into a 4 year budget. I'm at a loss to find anything wrong with their decision at the time in 2014. Also at a loss to see where someone's pocket got lined in that scenario.
And now we have the first person to actually read the article instead of just forming a conclusion off the headline.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kaibelf Avatar
90 months ago
Look like they got what they paid for.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jmgregory1 Avatar
90 months ago
I can understand their likely decision to initially use Window's phones, as I'm sure they're running a Window's computer system. But even still, what IT or tech consultant, let alone internal folks at NYPD would have thought Window's phones were going to have a future? They've been losing marketshare for years, and the writing has been on the wall for a long time. I imagine the decision lined someone's pockets with a bunch of money or a future job opportunity at MS.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
trellus Avatar
90 months ago
Based on the article's content, the decision to go with Windows phones was an easy one to make. The phones integrated with already deployed software. The phones came at no cost. The upgrades would come at no cost. It allowed them to come in 45% under budget. It has allowed them to stretch a 2 year budget into a 4 year budget. I'm at a loss to find anything wrong with their decision at the time in 2014. Also at a loss to see where someone's pocket got lined in that scenario.
+1 -- I would have made the same decision, given those parameters. That bought them time and saved some serious coin, and now they can easily afford to make the decision they have made now, and which was also quite a good one for now! :)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
democracyrules Avatar
90 months ago
('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/29/nypd-confirms-transition-to-iphones/')


The New York Police Department has confirmed ('http://nypdnews.com/2017/08/deputy-commissioner-information-technology-jessica-tischs-response-ny-post-article/') it will begin transitioning to iPhones ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/28/nypd-said-to-replace-windows-phones-with-iphones-starting-this-year/') for its 36,000 police officers in the fall, less than one year after completing a rollout of Windows Phones to its police force.


Image: ABC7 Eyewitness News - WABC-TV New York

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD's Deputy Commissioner of Information Technology, said "improvements in Apple controls" will enable the department to "responsibly and cost effectively move its mobility initiative to the Apple platform."

When the NYPD chose Windows Phone devices in 2014, Tisch said "neither iOS nor Android phones allowed it to cost-effectively utilize prior investment in custom Windows applications" that it had deployed at the time.

"Moreover, we assessed that the Windows platform would be most effective at achieving our goal of securing 36,000 devices that would be used for sensitive law enforcement operations," added Tisch. "This was of paramount importance."

The NYPD said its contract provided for Nokia's Lumia smartphones at no cost. It also allowed for the department to replace the smartphones with devices of its choosing two years later, also at no cost.

As a result, the NYPD said its smartphone initiative is 45 percent under budget. Based on its current rate of spending, the department expects to stretch what was initially budgeted at two years of spending to more than four years.

Tisch said the NYPD's mobility initiative has made its police officers "smarter, faster, and more agile" in their response to 911 calls, with response times down more than 8 percent compared to an unspecified period.

Article Link: NYPD Defends Choosing Windows Phones, Confirms Plans to Switch to iPhones ('https://www.macrumors.com/2017/08/29/nypd-confirms-transition-to-iphones/')
Totally agree with NYPD decision to change windows phone to iPhones. It is a superb decision considering iphone is the most secured smartphone in the planet. Law enforcements need the most secured phone, which only iPhone can meet the need. [emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303][emoji1303]
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Vertical Camera Feature

iPhone SE 4 Production Will Reportedly Begin Ramping Up in October

Tuesday July 23, 2024 2:00 pm PDT by
Following nearly two years of rumors about a fourth-generation iPhone SE, The Information today reported that Apple suppliers are finally planning to begin ramping up mass production of the device in October of this year. If accurate, that timeframe would mean that the next iPhone SE would not be announced alongside the iPhone 16 series in September, as expected. Instead, the report...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature

iPhone 17 Lineup Specs Detail Display Upgrade and New High-End Model

Monday July 22, 2024 4:33 am PDT by
Key details about the overall specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup have been shared by the leaker known as "Ice Universe," clarifying several important aspects of next year's devices. Reports in recent months have converged in agreement that Apple will discontinue the "Plus" iPhone model in 2025 while introducing an all-new iPhone 17 "Slim" model as an even more high-end option sitting...
Generic iPhone 17 Feature With Full Width Dynamic Island

Kuo: Ultra-Thin iPhone 17 to Feature A19 Chip, Single Rear Camera, Semi-Titanium Frame, and More

Wednesday July 24, 2024 9:06 am PDT by
Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today shared alleged specifications for a new ultra-thin iPhone 17 model rumored to launch next year. Kuo expects the device to be equipped with a 6.6-inch display with a current-size Dynamic Island, a standard A19 chip rather than an A19 Pro chip, a single rear camera, and an Apple-designed 5G chip. He also expects the device to have a...
maxresdefault

These 5 Features Will Make the iPhone 17 the Biggest Update in Years

Monday July 22, 2024 4:02 pm PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 16 models that we're expecting to see in September are going to be quite similar to the iPhone 15 models, but rumors suggest that Apple is making big changes in 2025. We've been hearing hints of an all-new device in the iPhone lineup, and it may be the most expensive iPhone Apple has offered to date. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. New 'Slim'...
iPhone 16 Pro Sizes Feature

iPhone 16 Series Is Less Than Two Months Away: Everything We Know

Thursday July 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
Apple typically releases its new iPhone series around mid-September, which means we are about two months out from the launch of the iPhone 16. Like the iPhone 15 series, this year's lineup is expected to stick with four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max – although there are plenty of design differences and new features to take into account. To bring ...
iOS 18 on iPhone Feature

Everything New in iOS 18 Beta 4

Tuesday July 23, 2024 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple released the fourth beta of iOS 18 today, introducing small changes to a number of features throughout the operating system. There are no big additions in this beta, but Apple is continuing to refine existing settings and design choices. Apple plans to continue updating iOS 18 over the next few months, with the update set to be released this fall. We've rounded up all of the changes...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 Rumored to Launch Early Next Year With OLED Display, 48MP Camera, and More

Monday July 22, 2024 7:22 am PDT by
The fourth-generation iPhone SE will offer a series of major upgrades over the current model, the leaker known as "Ice Universe" claims. The information was listed in a post on Weibo, which also detailed the specifications of the iPhone 17 lineup. As previously rumored, the fourth-generation iPhone SE is expected to feature Face ID and USB-C, marking a major upgrade from current and previous ...
iPhone 17 Plus Feature Purple

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Mechanical Aperture

Tuesday July 23, 2024 9:32 am PDT by
Apple is planning to release at least one iPhone 17 model next year with mechanical aperture, according to a report published today by The Information. The mechanical system would allow users to adjust the size of the iPhone 17's aperture, which refers to the opening of the camera lens through which light enters. All existing iPhone camera lenses have fixed apertures, but some Android...