Will Windows 10 leave channel out in the cold?
As-a-service model raises questions about what role resellers can play in relation to Microsoft's new OS, argues Jessica Meek
Microsoft claims Windows 10 will "usher in a new era of more personal computing", but what has it actually got to offer customers, and moreover, the channel?
Well, five days after we revealed our top emerging threat for 2015 would be everything-as-a-service, Microsoft has revealed that Windows 10 will be delivered as a service. The intention is to offer ongoing updates to devices running the program throughout the supported lifetime of the device, which makes sense in today's mobile world.
However, it does raise the question of whether the as-a-service model for Windows 10 will mean solution providers are set to be cut out of the equation if customers go directly to Microsoft to have the one-time instalment of the new system.
On top of this, Microsoft is offering a free upgrade to Windows 7 and 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 users who upgrade to Windows 10 in the first year, so another area of potential missed revenue for the channel.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said the new system marks the beginning of the more personal computing era in his "mobile-first, cloud-first world".
"Our ambition is for the 1.5 billion people who are using Windows today to fall in love with Windows 10 and for billions more to decide to make Windows home," he said.
If people are going to fall in love with Windows 10, they will have to forget their previous relationship with Windows 8 and 8.1, if you can call it a relationship; for many it was a mere fling that never really got off the ground after the first few encounters. And most would say that the customer was not the one to blame for this.
Some of the features of Windows 10 that Nadella is hoping users will fall in love with are as follows:
• Cortana - Windows Phone's digital assistant will now be available on PCs and tablets running Windows 10
• Project Spartan - a new browser that will be interoperable
• Office for Windows 10 - new versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and Outlook have been designed "from the ground up" in the Office universal apps in Windows 10. Changes include new inking features in PowerPoint that allow users to annotate slides in real time and new touch-first controls in Excel that enable users to update spreadsheets without a mouse or keyboard. Microsoft also said it is currently working on the next version of the Office desktop suite
Also announced was the news that Windows 10 will feature a continuum mode, allowing it to move freely between keyboard, mouse and touch when used with 2-in-1 devices. It also houses new universal apps for photos, videos, music, maps, people and messaging, and mail and calendar.
Microsoft added that content will be stored on OneDrive to allow for switching devices as and when the user requires without having to copy things between devices.
Terry Myerson, EVP of the Operating Systems group at Microsoft, is obviously very excited about Windows 10, hailing it as a "commitment to liberate people from complex technology."
"Everything about Windows 10 - the experiences, delivering it as a service and the free upgrade - means that Windows 10 isn't just another product, it's an ongoing relationship - one that will give ongoing value to all our customers," he added.
Let's see how liberated the channel feels once Windows 10 starts hitting its customers.
The last point worth mentioning is the new Surface Hub, which is designed to optimize the Windows 10 experience for groups. The new, large-screen device features multi-touch and digital inking, built-in cameras and sensors and microphones, all of which allow the Surface Hub to take advantage of Windows 10, Skype for Business and Office 365 in trying to make every person in a meeting feel as though they are in the same space, irrespective of their actual location.
Key features of the Surface Hub include digital white-boarding, instant remote conferencing, the ability for multiple users to share and edit content on the screen from a laptop, tablet or phone and a trusted platform for large-screen apps. The unit is available with a 55-inch screen and 84-inch screen and according to Microsoft "removes the current limitations of traditional conference room scenarios to empower teams to create their best work together".
The Redmond, WA firm said that the next technical preview for Windows 10 on the PC is set to be available for free to Windows Insiders within the next week and for the first time on phones later next month.
Jessica Meek is the editor of CRN UK sister publication, Channelnomics.com