Is Microsoft cooking up a subscription model for Windows? As Neowin reports, the company’s latest patent application suggests so.
Filed on January 29, 2015, the trademark is for “Windows 365,” and it applies to everything from “computer operating system software” to “non-downloadable computer software” and “consulting services.”
The new trademark should be familiar to those acquainted with Office 365, the software-as-a-service version of Microsoft’s productivity suite. Office 365 subscriptions start at $6.99 a month, and they provide cross-platform access to key Office applications along with OneDrive storage and Skype minutes.
This isn’t the first time Microsoft has dropped hints about a subscription model for Windows 10. At last month’s Windows event, Microsoft OS chief Terry Myerson stated, “With Windows 10, we think of Windows as a service.” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella later clarified Myerson’s comments, however, saying they didn’t imply a shift in business model. Hmm.
For now, all we know for sure is that Windows 10 will be a free upgrade for a year after its launch. The free upgrade will be offered to users of Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows Phone 8.1, so thankfully, most of us will be able to partake.
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