Windows 8.x will be free for OEM mobile device builders and IoTs? (via Microsoft)
Everyone loves getting things for free, especially if it’s a ‘get out of jail’ pass or the latest in new mobile technology. Microsoft recently announced that they can’t help people get out of jail for free, but they can deliver the latest refresh of Windows 8 to system builders as well as those manufacturing devices for the Internet of Things for the tidy sum of $0. That’s right, OEMs, ODMs and IoT manufacturers will get the latest refresh for free, while the rest of us will still have to pay out-of-pocket. Microsoft made the announcement at this past Build conference in San Francisco and while the public won’t get their hands on the OS for free, it translates into savings for mobile devices outfitted with the latest interface. Free is indeed great if you’re a system builder, however there is a caveat, Windows 8.? (unknown if it will be 8.1 refresh, 8.2 or even 9 for that matter) will only be available on smartphones and tablets with screens under 9-inches. The next OS refresh will also be available for free to developers and manufacturers of the Internet of Things devices for seamless data acquisition, communications integration and cloud access. As more IoT-enabled devices hit the market, so too will the need for ‘back-end’ infrastructures to handle all that information, such as Microsoft’s Azure ISS (Intelligent Systems Service), which is capable of managing those infrastructures. If gaining a free OS wasn’t enough, Microsoft plans on giving OEM/ODM and IoT developers a free one-year subscription to Office 365 as well, making the incentive to incorporate the company’s OS that much greater. Will the freebies translate to increased love for Microsoft’s lackluster OS or will revenue margins stay where they are? Only time will tell.
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