Wednesday during a keynote address at the Taipei International Convention Center, Nick Parker, corporate vice president OEM Division, Microsoft Corp., discussed how Windows 10 is enabling the next generation of devices and cloud-based solutions. Parker highlighted the vast opportunities that Windows 10 creates for partners to grow their businesses by selling the innovative Windows 8.1 devices that are in the marketplace now, promoting the great experience that Windows 10 will offer on those devices when upgraded, and building new hardware across traditional and emerging device categories. These new devices will bring Windows 10 to life when it becomes available in 190 countries around the world on July 29 and in the following months.
Parker was joined onstage by Tony Prophet, corporate vice president for Windows and Search Marketing, and Roanne Sones, general manager of Windows Engineering. Prophet highlighted the ambitious goal of 1 billion devices running Windows 10 in the next two to three years and discussed how Microsoft will drive excitement and demand for Windows 10 and new devices. Sones demonstrated rich new experiences and scenarios that Windows 10 enables including Start menu enhancements, universal apps and drivers, multitasking, and PC security features. She demonstrated the latest innovations in Cortana,1Continuum, Microsoft Edge and Windows Hello,2 and she discussed how DirectX 12 will improve the gaming experience, as well as the opportunity for OEMs to develop unique hardware to light up these new capabilities.
Parker shared Microsoft’s commitment to hardware partners to foster opportunities, drive innovation, increase demand and grow the market for Windows devices. “Our device partners continue to push the envelope of innovation, developing stunning PCs that are sure to delight customers,” said Parker. “And our commitment to broaden the ecosystem opportunity with Windows 10 is revolutionizing how people interact with their devices and create new opportunities for revenue growth.”
Parker highlighted an array of devices, some never before seen, designed for Windows 10 including PCs from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Toshiba:
In addition Parker demonstrated two new PC form factors:
Also showcased was a new GPU from NVIDIA that enables a premium, high-performance gaming experience on Windows 10. GeForce GTX 980 Ti sets a new benchmark in gaming performance, delivering an exciting new level of capabilities with three times the performance and three times the memory than previous generations (versus GTX 680). It gives users the power to play the latest games in stunning 4K resolution and supports key DirectX 12 features such as Volume Tiled Resources and Conservative Rasters to enable striking new graphics effects on Windows 10.
In the emerging category Parker highlighted the Internet of Things (IoT), where connected sensors in equipment and other common devices come together with mobile phones, tablets and the cloud to enable rich new possibilities across a range of industries. Parker announced a new collaboration between Microsoft and Toshiba to build next-generation Windows- and Azure-powered IoT solutions. The companies expect to release a complete offering for the transportation and logistics industry, from devices to services, including state-of-the-art hardware such as an onboard video recorder than can also track vehicle data and analyze driver behavior. This also includes a ruggedized environmental device with up to 12 sensors onboard, a military-grade case and a battery capable of six months’ continuous operation that will run on the Azure infrastructure to track shipping and ensure that goods arrive on time, undamaged and in a predictable manner. Parker also showed Crestron Pyng, an elegant home-automation technology powered by Windows embedded services that connects lighting, shades, audio, thermostats, door locks and security systems, and utilizes Azure IoT services so everything works together intelligently to make life easier. Connected devices like these can help both individuals and businesses save time and money.
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