Windows Redstone will follow Windows 10
Microsoft is being exceptionally busy when it comes to Windows at the moment, on PCs and mobiles. It is pushing the Windows 10 release as hard as it can through the technical preview, with a summer launch now almost upon us. It is taking this hectic-paced approach to try to move straggling (and struggling) users on from Windows XP, as well as Windows 7 and Windows 8. With most business users and enterprises firmly sticking with Windows 7, it will take something major to move them on.
Which is why Windows Redstone is making the news now. Once Windows 10 is out the door, with its many consumer-centric features, the company needs to concentrate on keeping enterprise users happy. Windows Redstone (named after an ore found in the game Minecraft, which the company recently acquired) will be a major update to Windows 10 and will be released in 2016. Incorporating many features that haven’t made the launch, it will also be the perfect time for Microsoft to push Windows 10 and Redstone to enterprises, who traditionally only upgrade to the latest version of Windows when the first major update arrives.
Expect greater integration with Microsoft’s business features, like SharePoint and Azure cloud services, and more enterprise-friendly features for the likes of Skype and OneDrive, as Microsoft positions itself as the business platform of the big data era. It could also be part of the move to Windows being provided as a service, just as most cloud offerings are. That would allow Microsoft to sell subscription-based Windows licenses rather than the traditional up-front fee, which would generate more stable revenue over the longer term.
Small and medium sized businesses need to be aware of these trends now, as Microsoft tries to move on from selling one license every three or four years. Instead, they can sell subscriptions to a range of services and apps at cheaper monthly rates that will make it easier for small businesses with little cash (allowing those using BYOD schemes to use hardware at minimal cost) to get started while larger companies can spread the up-front costs over a longer period.
