Microsoft launches Windows 10 as a Service Subscription Plan

“Microsoft is making Windows 10 available on a monthly subscription for enterprise users with the launch of Windows as a Service via its Cloud Solution Provider.”

We knew it was only a matter of time…

For $7 per user, per month, enterprise businesses will now be able to subscribe to Microsoft’s Windows 10 Enterprise E3 version. Microsoft announced the introduction of this enterprise subscription plan back in June 2016 as a more “flexible alternative” to their standard installs.

It’s no surprise why Microsoft would want to make a bigger play in the subscription economy, where subscriptions mean steady monthly recurring revenue.

In PC World, Senior Editor Mark Hachman noted, “Right now, Microsoft’s flagship subscription offering is Office 365, its collection of Office applications that Microsoft patches and adds new features to each month. Microsoft vice president of corporate marketing Kirk Koenigsbauer told partners Tuesday that 70 million people pay to use Office 365 every month. When Microsoft reported its first-quarter earnings in April, Microsoft said about 22.2 million of those subscribers were consumers, and total Office commercial users were up 57 percent from a year ago.” (Read Hachman’s full article for some interesting speculation around what this means for consumers: Yes, Windows 10 Subscriptions Are Coming, At Least for Entrprise.)

Microsoft is planning to launch another subscription model, Windows 10 Enterprise E5, next month. Is this a sign of more subscription monetization plans for Microsoft? We’ll have to wait and see.

Read the full article on Silicon Angle.

Download our free guide: 9 Keys to Building a Successful Subscription Business.

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