Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has defended the company's $479 million contract with the U.S. military — a commitment that some Microsoft employees strongly opposed. While pledging to engage with employees and consider Microsoft's role as a corporate citizen, Nadella said the company would not withhold technology from institutions in democracies elected to preserve the freedoms of their citizens. Microsoft was awarded the nearly half-million dollar contract last fall for an "Integrated Visual Augmentation System" using HoloLens technology.