Over 40% of URS' revenues come from the federal government, providing the company with stable cash flows and lengthy contracts (average contractlength of seven to eight years for the Department of Defense and 10 years for the Department of Energy).
Ostensibly, the shift is to let customers count on a lone upgrade date for all of their connected devices, but let's not beat around the bush: the longer intervals are bad for any subscriber whose desire for a new phone or tablet doesn't perfectly dovetail with their contractlength.