14 DAY TRIAL // This isn't the first time when we're hearing that Microsoft is developing a subscription-based version of Windows, but according to some leaked info that reached the web today, Redmond could be calling the new operating system Windows 365.
While the name clearly reminds of Office 365, only little is known at this point about the new Windows version which could clearly be based on a subscription system similar to the one available in the cloud productivity suite.
As you can see in the photo published by Windows leaker Faikee, Windows 365 is currently in the alpha development channel and based on Windows core, which could be an indication that this new OS version might actually offer a subscription model that would allow the installation on multiple devices, with a yearly or monthly fee.
Moving Windows to the cloud is clearly one of the things that need to be done as soon as possible because Microsoft continues the transition to a devices and services approach and there's no doubt that cloud is playing a key role in this transformation plan.
The new CEO Satya Nadella, who is actually the former boss of the company's cloud division, said with several occasions that Microsoft is fully committed to cloud-based services, so moving Windows on such an app model is clearly an important project in the company's agenda.
“It definitely is that cloud that is not connected to devices is just latent potential because how does the cloud interact with the real world? It is through by being able to get to devices. It could be a sensor, it could be a mobile device, it could be a tablet, it could be a big screen in a conference room or a living room. And likewise, a device which is not connected to the cloud just cannot complete the scenarios,” Satya Nadella said in late March when Microsoft officially launched Office for iPad.
At this point, there are absolutely no details as to when this new version of Windows based on a subscription system could be released, but expect more details to be provided in the coming months as we're also approaching the launch date of the new Windows 9.
According to people familiar with the matter, Windows 9 could see daylight as soon as early 2015, so the new Windows 365 could be released at about the same time if the development work goes as planned.