News
Microsoft Readies Marketing Blitz for Windows 10 Launch
- By Jeffrey Schwartz
- July 14, 2015
Microsoft is investing significant marketing resources on Windows 10's July 29 launch.
The company on Monday said it plans to mark the operating system's release with a TV advertising blitz that kicks off on July 20. The company will also be holding events at its retail and third-party stores as part of the Windows 10 promotional campaign, which is called "Upgrade Your World." The campaign's aims is to showcase those who use Windows 10, Microsoft said.
"Special events" will take place on launch day at Microsoft stores in Sydney, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing, New Delhi, Dubai, Nairobi, Berlin, Johannesburg, Madrid, London, Sao Paolo and New York City.
Among the major retail chains participating are Best Buy, Bic Camera, Croma, Currys/PC World, Elkjøp, Jarrir, Incredible Connection, Media Markt, Staples, Wal-Mart, Yamada and Yodobashi.
Microsoft is also contributing $10 million to 10 global and 100 local nonprofit organizations to promote awareness of their causes. Recipients include CARE, Code.org, Keep a Child Alive, Malala Fund, Pencils of Promise, Save the Children, Special Olympics, The Global Poverty Project and The Nature Conservancy.
The Windows 10 launch events and ad campaign are largely targeted at consumers, but the announcement was timed to coincide with the start of Microsoft's annual Worldwide Partner Conference (WPC). The Day 1 WPC keynote included presentations from Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Windows and devices chief Terry Myerson, and other key executives.
Nadella emphasized major new security features in Windows 10 that enable IT to encrypt and manage access to all business data and separate it from personal information. Nadella reminded Microsoft's vast partner base of the principle on which Microsoft was founded: bringing computers to mainstream business and home users. According to Nadella, Windows 10 is made more personal thanks to features like to Continuum, which will bring a common Windows interface to all types of devices -- from sensors and phones to tablets, PCs and large conferencing rooms.
"We are going to have this one unified platform, and that to me is a key differentiator of what Windows stands for," Nadella said in his keynote address.
Critical future extensions to Windows 10 will include the Cortana digital assistant and HoloLens, which will bring 3-D user experiences to consumer and business environments.
About the Author
Jeffrey Schwartz is editor of Redmond magazine and also covers cloud computing for Virtualization Review's Cloud Report. In addition, he writes the Channeling the Cloud column for Redmond Channel Partner. Follow him on Twitter @JeffreySchwartz.