Windows Reboots as Ongoing Service
Could Microsoft be moving toward a subscription model?
THE PATH to Windows 10 has been riddled with unexpected twists and turns. Even the name came as a surprise—while most assumed the successor to Windows 8/8.1 would be called Windows 9, Microsoft decided, at least publicly, that the next version of its OS would be such a generational leap forward that it warranted skipping over Windows 9. Conspiracy theorists still point to other explanations, such as lazy coding, but that’s not the point.
One thing we’ve come to realize about Windows 10, now confirmed as being made available for PCs and tablets from 29 July, is that we should expect the unexpected. Toward that end, Microsoft’s second major surprise came when the company announced free upgrades to Windows 10 for existing Win7 and Win8.1 users for the first year. That’s where things get truly interesting.
More recently, a Microsoft employee made a shocking statement about Windows 10 being Microsoft’s endgame.
“Right now we’re releasing Windows 10, and because Windows 10 is the last version of Windows, we’re all still working on Windows 10,” Jerry Nixon, a Microsoft development executive, said at Microsoft’s Ignite conference in Chicago.
Don’t mistake that to mean Microsoft is throwing in the towel. It’s doing nothing of the sort. Instead, Nixon’s referring to Win10 being the beginning of Windows as a service. It’s a move many suspected Microsoft was working toward, though without an explanation as to what Windows as a service means in Microsoft’s eyes and how it will affect customers. Understandably, there’s some hesitation by Windows users to embrace the change.
One of the fears is that Microsoft is prepping a subscription model, much like Office 365. You pay a monthly fee and in return you’re allowed to use the OS and receive feature updates as they’re doled out. Those who believe Microsoft is going in that direction point to early announcements that Windows 10 would be a free upgrade for the first year. If it’s free for a year, then that must mean a subscription price kicks in afterward, right?
Only clues, not answers, are available. Microsoft’s director of program management, Jim Alkove, stated in January: “Once a Windows device is upgraded to Windows 10, we will continue to keep it current via Windows Update for the supported lifetime of the device, at no cost. We think of this as Windows as a service.”
The way Alkove explains it, Win10 devices will continually benefit from new features, functionality, and security updates, at least until Microsoft determines your device is obsolete (details on Microsoft’s supported lifetime policy have yet to be announced). If so, the only time you’d need to purchase a Windows license will be when buying or building a new system.
Microsoft confirmed this approach with its release date statement, in early June. Win7 and 8.1 users will have a year to claim a free upgrade, after which it will be updated, for free, for the life of the device. There is still no word, however, on costs beyond the life of the device, or for new devices.
Microsoft CFO Amy Hood added more insight during a shareholder meeting. She explained that Microsoft already gives Windows licenses away to manufacturers of sub-9-inch devices, and that the strategy is to chase revenue from Bing search, apps, and cloud-based subscription services that tie into Windows 10. Of all the ways Microsoft intends to generate revenue, Hood made no mention of a Windows subscription.
Once a device is upgraded, we’ll keep it current for the device’s lifetime, at no cost.