The New York Police Department (NYPD) has completed the deployment of Windows phones for its police officers. The largest police force in the United States chose Windows phones over iOS and Android phones.
The deployment of Windows phones started in April last year. The project is now complete with all 36,000 police officers in New York City carrying either Lumia 830 or Lumia 640 XL smartphones running on the Windows 8.1 operating system.
The NYPD explained that it considers Windows Phone to be more secure than Android or iOS phones. It also said that the police force has developed a custom software in collaboration with Microsoft. The software is capable of letting 911 dispatchers route calls to field officers. It also contains a connected database which allows officers to check for names, police records, and so on.
Apart from these features, NYPD officers now also have an email address and a phone number, making it easier for them to interact with the communities they serve.
Microsoft discontinued Windows 8 and replaced it with Windows 10. Before the deployment of Windows smartphones, the police force used radios and shared voicemail boxes to communicate with each other. The department stated that with the new 911 call routing function, the response time for crimes in progress is down by over 12 percent.
The NYPD is likely to transition to Windows 10 Mobile at a later date. The upgrade may be carried out next summer.
Microsoft has been struggling in the mobile segment, and the company's market share has plunged down to one percent. The company is reportedly looking to dispose of the assets it acquired through Nokia.