You may think with Windows 8 just around the corner, sales in Microsoft’s current operating system would dwindle or slow down in anticipation of the next-generation software.
Think again.
Microsoft took the opportunity to reaffirm its position at Computex that Microsoft has sold more than
600 million licenses for Windows 7 in the three years it has been on the market, reports The Verge.
Considering Microsoft reached the 525 million license milestone in January, that equates to 75 million in the space of six months. It sounds about right considering its past progress, and shows no signs of it plateauing.
Bets are on that the figure will only rise while Windows 8 will struggle to get off the ground — at least in the business and enterprise market. Analysts believe it may be difficult off the mark for Microsoft with its latest creation, particularly in the soon-to-kick-off extended tablet wars.
Microsoft’s Steve Guggenheimer, who announced the figure, isn’t worried.
“This is the biggest launch time in Microsoft’s history. In addition to updating Windows client, Windows Server, phone and embedded platforms, there’s a massive wave of software and services coming to market that we think will delight customers,” he said on stage.
While businesses and the enterprise, in favour of keeping their employees sweet, may leave Windows 8 out to pasture in favour of ‘bog-standard’ Windows 7, the BYOD push will likely be one of the first entry points for the forthcoming operating system in the workplace.
With Windows XP still favourite among enterprise users for legacy compatibility, Guggenheimer noted that Windows 7 is running on more than 39 percent of “internet connected devices” worldwide.
In May, Net Applications pegged Windows XP at 46 percent in global market share, while Windows 7 was close to 39 percent, aligning with Microsoft’s figures.
It may take a while for XP to become truly redundant, end of support notwithstanding. But at this rate even with Windows 8, if the trends continue, it could be another 12 months before the two converge.
