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Yes, it's ironic: in an effort to win what Infoworld calls a lucrative "homeland security" contract [their quotation marks, not ours!], the manufacturer of the least secure software in the world has opened a $25 million showpiece "Innovation & Technology Conference Center" in Reston, Virginia.

Here's the plan:

"The $25 million Microsoft Innovation & Technology Conference Center will showcase systems for use by government agencies and defense contractors, the company said, as well as house the latest in secure computing and telecommunication facilities.

Additionally, the software maker said the site will eventually contain 'secured facilities for classified meetings with intelligence agencies,' as well as a Government Solutions Center.

Oh please. "Let's have the party at our house!" And if the very idea of Microsoft having anything to do with "homeland security" sets your minds to reeling, join the club. We say call your congressperson, write your senator, hide the women and children, and head for the hills. We do wish to point out that Reston, VA, barely ten minutes off from the D.C. Beltway, is also home to a very fine Apple Computer conference center where we actually attended a couple of seminars (it's small, but the bathrooms and bottled water machines are very nice).

UPDATE: 7:23 p.m. MDT -- Wait a minute... we just saw the "Government Solutions Center" phrase that had escaped our notice when we first posted this: we take it all back! This is a great idea. If Microsoft can do something about the government, we'll even buy a PC.