Microsoft has confirmed that its Windows 10 media event will take place on the morning of Jan. 21. And the general public is invited to watch as it takes place at Microsoft’s Redmond, Wash., headquarters.
In keeping with its tradition of livestreaming important announcements, Microsoft has prepared a Website, announced Brandon LeBlanc, senior marketing communications manager at the company, in a brief statement. “The live webcast will start once the event starts at 9am (Pacific) and you’ll be able to watch it here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows10story. An on-demand version will be available shortly after the event at the same link,” he wrote.
Currently, the URL leads to placeholder images of the Windows 10 logo and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella addressing a crowd. “We’re pretty excited about this event and to be able to talk about what’s next for Windows 10,” added LeBlanc.
At least four top executives will be taking the stage, suggesting that not only is it the first major press event of 2015 but that the company is planning a fairly extensive look at the new operating system (OS) and its role in Microsoft’s software and cloud ecosystem. “You’ll hear directly from senior leaders from the Operating Systems Group including Terry Myerson, Joe Belfiore and Phil Spencer as well as our CEO Satya Nadella,” said LeBlanc.
Microsoft surprised tech industry watchers on Sept. 30, 2014, by announcing that it was skipping right over Windows 9 and naming its new “Threshold” OS Windows 10 instead. Early on, the company made it clear that its goal was to win back enterprise customers, many of which passed on Windows 8 since it launched in 2012 and are still clinging to Windows 7.
“This will be our most comprehensive operating system and the best release Microsoft has ever done for our business customers, and we look forward to working together with our broader Windows community to bring Windows 10 to life in the months ahead,” said Myerson, executive vice president of Microsoft’s Operating Systems group, at the time.
Windows 10, which is currently available as a preview, brings back the Start Menu and boots directly into the desktop view when installed on a system without a touch screen. Other business friendly-features include multiple desktops and a streamlined app-switching experience. Previous leaks have also hinted at the presence of Microsoft’s digital assistant, Cortana, and a new version of Internet Explorer that has been reworked to better compete with Chrome and Firefox.
Under the hood, Windows 10 is more than a desktop and tablet OS; it’s Microsoft’s software foundation for a wide variety of hardware.
“Windows 10 will run across an incredibly broad set of devices—from the Internet of things, to servers in enterprise data centers worldwide. Some of these devices have 4-inch screens—some have 80-inch screens—and some don’t have screens at all,” stated Myerson in a Sept. 30 blog post.