With the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft had aimed at one billion active users for the platform within 3 years. This deadline could not be met as Windows 10 failed to take off in the smartphone segment against Android and iOS. Two more years later after the set timeline, Microsoft has finally achieved its goal of 1 billion active users for the Windows 10.
The company announced the new milestone in a recent blog post, taking less than six months to do so after it hit 900 million devices on Windows 10. The number accommodates Windows 10 users in 200 countries across the world, making it a preferred platform for ¡°one in every seven people on the planet,¡± as per the post.
Additionally, Microsoft states that 100% of the Fortune 500 are now using Windows 10 devices, marking its strength in the corporate world. Apart from the enterprises mostly using Windows 10 on PCs and laptops, the count of 1 billion devices also includes Xbox One consoles as well as HoloLens devices running Microsoft¡¯s latest operating system.
In the blog, Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President, Modern Life, Search & Devices, Microsoft acknowledges the widespread use of Windows 10 by the OEMs of laptops and 2-in-1s as a reason for Microsoft¡¯s success. ¡°¡±Windows 10 is the only operating system at the heart of over 80,000 models and configurations of different laptops and 2-in-1s from over 1,000 different manufacturers,¡± he mentions.
Going forward, the company now plans to invest in multiple Windows editions aiming to serve a plethora of customer needs through these platforms. This would include ¡°Windows IoT, Windows 10 Teams edition for Surface Hub, Windows Server, Windows Mixed Reality on HoloLens, Windows 10 in S mode, Windows 10X and more.¡±