14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has started a never-ending debate with its free Windows 10 promo, and now everyone has an opinion on the way the software giant should market the new operating system.
While the company has said it clearly enough - Windows 10 will be free for users with valid Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 license (and not for pirates) - some experts believe that this is only the very first step towards making the operating system completely free of charge for absolutely all customers, no matter if they are end users or businesses.
Al Hilwa, analyst at technology research firm IDC, says that at some point enterprises might simply refuse to pay for Windows 10, so Microsoft might not have any other option than to offer Windows free of charge for them too, in an attempt to maintain its market share.
Other sources of revenue
If that happens, Microsoft could start looking for other sources of revenue, the analyst says. Windows is no longer the number one cash cow for Microsoft, as Office is the main division that brings home the bacon, so Redmond is more or less covered if it decides to make the operating system available free of charge.
In addition to Office, the analyst believes that Microsoft will also focus more on Surface tablets, which are growing in popularity thanks to their 2-in-1 configuration. A new Surface model should launch later this year with Windows 10, and more sizes are expected as well, including a smaller version specifically designed to be used as a note-taking device.
Advertising and cloud will continue to play a key role for Microsoft, but if the company decides to make Windows completely free of charge, the company could start looking for more effective ways of generating revenue and enterprises again would be the ones targeted.
A future with a free Windows version indeed sounds good for users across the world, but Microsoft doesn't seem to be ready for such a significant step just yet. But the new OS is still in development right now, so anything could change before RTM is reached.