• A top Microsoft official has reported that Windows 10 has been enjoying strong adoption.
  • Future Windows 10 upgrades will be offered via the cloud.
  • This will give Microsoft an excellent opportunity to cross-sell its existing cloud offerings.
  • Windows 10
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    Microsoft’s (NASDASQ:MSFT) corporate VP Yusuf Mehdi disclosed a few days ago via a tweetsorm that more than 75 million devices are already running Windows 10, about a month after the release of the OS. Windows 10 has already managed to garner 5.2% OS market share, a feat that a free upgrade from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 took a full seven months to match. So it’s quite clear that the popularity of the new OS is not just because it’s a freebie but rather due to a superior design and positive user sentiment.

    Microsoft stock has lately been gaining on another big piece of Windows 10 news after Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) launched its much awaited 6th generation Skylake Core Processor. Skylake will power the full range of PCs from large Xeon workstations to entry-level laptops. Skylake has been hailed as a ‘‘once in a decade experience’’ that will offer groundbreaking speed, unparalleled graphics performance, and long battery life especially when used with Windows 10. So that’s another big reason why Windows 10 could continue seeing strong adoption.

    So what does all this mean for Microsoft?

    Good Times for Microsoft’s Cloud

    Once users manually install their first copy of Windows 10, Microsoft will start offering upgrades via its cloud. The company has said that Windows 10 will be the last Windows OS, meaning upgrades will be offered on a continuing basis. This is a good thing for Microsoft’s bottom line since the company has been spending huge chunks of money supporting older operating systems. Having a single unified OS will greatly cut on these costs.

    There is a possibility that Microsoft will charge for future Windows 10 upgrades. The company said during its latest investor presentation that Windows 10 would realize about 50% more revenue over a single upgrade cycle compared to older Windows operating systems.

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