Windows 10 to spark 'new generation of opportunities' for VARs

Microsoft drops more hints about new operating system release

Microsoft has said the imminent launch of Windows 10 will bring about a "new generation of opportunities" for partners as it hints at what the latest OS will look like.

At a Microsoft shareholder meeting last night, the vendor said the new OS – which will replace the divisive Windows 8 OS – will be optimised to take advantage of the Internet of Things and will run on some connected "things" that don't even have a screen.

Microsoft's chief executive Satya Nadella said the next iteration of Windows will be good for partners.

"Windows 10 is the start of a new generation of Windows that's more personal," he told the 400 attendees at the event, which was transcribed by Seeking Alpha.

"It will unlock new experiences for customers to work, play and connect. Windows delivers a consistent and natural experience across all devices for users and a universal platform for developers to deploy apps to billions of devices, from the smallest Internet of Things devices to a conference room that has a 90in screen.

"Windows 10 will enable a new generation of opportunities for partners, developers, and enterprises around the world to create these intelligent personal experiences across all kinds of devices."

Nadella is approaching his one-year anniversary as top dog at Microsoft, and the firm's chairman John Thompson gave him a glowing report.

"Over the past 10 months, Satya has pushed the company forward with its transformation, making Microsoft a productivity and platforms company for the mobile-first, cloud-first world," he said.

"His vision is compelling, and under his leadership Microsoft has re-energised industry partnerships, delivered new products and services and focused on an innovation road map around iconic products like Windows 10, Azure and Office 365."

Elsewhere at the shareholder meeting, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson urged Microsoft and other tech giants to put staff diversity at the top of their agendas. He said of the 20 tech firms his foundation studied, 11 of them had all-white boards of directors.