Microsoft Calls Army Contract Partner A Deadbeat

Microsoft is suing a government contractor it collaborated with on the build out of tech systems for the Army and the California National Guard, claiming its partner stiffed it on its shares of the fees.

Microsoft is seeking a total of $147,841 in unpaid fees from Silver Spring, Md.-based Washington Technology Group for work on the contracts, according to documents filed last week in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.

Microsoft worked with the company on the contracts from January 2005 through June 2006 but was never compensated, even though WTG had been paid by the government for the work, Microsoft claims in the lawsuit.

An official at Washington Technology Group on Tuesday referred calls to the company's outside attorney, who did not respond to a call seeking comment.

Microsoft's complaint does not state specifically the nature of the work it performed for the Army and Air National Guard alongside Washington Technology Group.

On its Web site, the outsourcer notes that it recently won a contract to provide the Air National Guard with "consulting services in support of the development of several solutions based on Microsoft technologies."

Washington Technology Group has held contracts with NASA, the FBI, the Transportation Security Administration, and other sensitive government agencies, according to its Web site. It also lists itself as a certified Microsoft partner and an IBM partner.

Microsoft is asking the court to award the unpaid fees and reimburse it for legal costs.