SAN DIEGO (dpa-AFX) - Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) announced that Windows 10 will launch in 190 countries and 111 languages around the world this summer.
At the Windows Hardware Engineering Community or WinHEC summit, Terry Myerson, executive vice president of Windows, Microsoft also announced a diverse collection of strategic partnerships and initiatives with leading global companies across the greater China region, including Lenovo, Tencent and Qihu 360.
These partnerships will enable hundreds of millions of Windows customers in China to upgrade to Windows 10, driving adoption around the world through ecosystem advancements.
Windows 10 delivers new capabilities that will enable hardware and device manufacturers to create technology, devices and experiences for customers around the world, including Windows Hello.
Lenovo announced it will offer Windows 10 upgrade services at 2,500 service centers and select retail stores in China when the Windows 10 upgrade is available. Lenovo also announced its commitment to build Windows Phones, to be available mid-year 2015 in China via China Mobile.
Microsoft also announced a strategic partnership with Tencent, the leading social networking and gaming services company in China. Tencent will offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to Tencent customers on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 in China via an easy and seamless upgrade. Tencent will create one of the first Windows 10 universal apps for its flagship QQ app, which has over 800 million customers throughout China, and bring its most popular PC games, including 'League of Legends,' 'Cross Fire' and 'Dungeon & Fighter,' to Windows 10 and the new Windows Store.
Qihu 360, a Internet security company in China, announced a partnership with Microsoft to bring Windows 10, for free, to its customers in China through seamless upgrades. Qihu 360 will enable the Windows 10 upgrade with just a few clicks for their customers with accelerated download speeds. As a result, millions of Qihu 360 users will be able to upgrade to Windows 10 quickly and easily.
Through a new program with Xiaomi Inc., one of the top smartphone distributors in the world, a select group of Xiaomi Mi 4 power users will be invited to help test Windows 10 and contribute to its future release later this year. They will have the opportunity to download the Windows 10 Technical Preview, install it and provide their feedback to Microsoft.
Myerson also shared news for Windows 10 and the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT space offers an enormous opportunity to device-makers, businesses and consumers, with an estimated 30 billion autonomous IoT devices deployed in the world by 2020.
A new version of Windows for small-footprint IoT devices will be available for free when Windows 10 launches. Windows 10 will offer versions of Windows for a diverse set of IoT devices, ranging from powerful devices like ATMs and ultrasound machines to resource-constrained devices like gateways. Through key partnerships with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Intel and Qualcomm, Microsoft will provide compelling options for hobbyists, device-builders and students.
Microsoft also introduced the Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C to the Windows 10 device family. It is the first Windows 10 developer board with integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS and a smartphone-class Snapdragon 410 chipset.
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