Dell wins a $9.7 billion Pentagon software deal after cozying up to Trump

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on during a press briefing at the Pentagon on May 5, 2026 in Arlington, Virginia. Chip Somodevilla | Getty Images The Department of Defense on Wednesday announced a five-year, roughly $9.7 billion deal with Dell to provide a suite of software to the U.S. military. The award, known as the Microsoft Department of War Enterprise Software Agreement II Core Enterprise Technology Agreement, calls for Dell to provide Microsoft 365, advanced cloud subscriptions and on-premises licensing capability. Dell Federal Systems, a unit of the company dedicated to serving government, won the contract after a competitive process, Defense Department Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies and acting Navy Chief Information Officer Barry Tanner told reporters at a Wednesday briefing at the Pentagon. It comes after Michael Dell , founder and CEO of Dell Technologies, pledged $6.25 billion last year to fund investment accounts for children known as "Trump accounts." Dell is a major buyer of Windows PC licenses, and it has a long-running partnership with Microsoft. "The vendors were all evaluated based on competition, comparison to GSA schedule pricing and overall chain of value to the department," Tanner said, referring to the General Services Administration, which oversees government purchasing. …