At the Computex 2015 conference in Taipei, Microsoft showcased new Windows 10 devices and talked about how Windows 10 is enabling new devices and cloud-based solutions and creating new opportunities for partners.
Windows 10 will be available in 190 countries around the world on July 29 and in the following months.
Microsoft hopes to have 1 billion devices running on Windows 10 in the next two to three years, and is driving demand with new devices, solutions and enabling the partner ecosystem.
During his keynote speech at the conference, Nick Parker, Microsoft OEM Division corporate vice president, highlighted the fact that partners can grow their business by selling the Windows 8.1 devices that are in the marketplace now, promoting the experience that Windows 10 will offer on those devices when upgraded, and building new hardware across traditional and emerging device categories.
Parker shared Microsoft’s intent to work with hardware partners to foster opportunities, drive innovation, increase demand and grow the market for Windows devices.
“Our device partners continue to push the envelope of innovation, developing stunning PCs that are sure to delight customers.
“And our commitment to broaden the ecosystem opportunity with Windows 10 is revolutionising how people interact with their devices and create new opportunities for revenue growth,” Parker says.
Parker announced a new collaboration between Microsoft and Toshiba to build next-generation Windows- and Azure-powered IoT solutions.
The companies expect to release a complete offering for the transportation and logistics industry, from devices to services, including state-of-the-art hardware such as an onboard video recorder than can also track vehicle data and analyse driver behaviour, according to Parker.
This also includes a ruggedised environmental device with up to 12 sensors onboard, a military-grade case and a battery capable of six months’ continuous operation that will run on the Azure infrastructure to track shipping and ensure that goods arrive on time, undamaged and in a predictable manner.
Parker also showed Crestron Pyng, a home-automation technology powered by Windows embedded services that connects lighting, shades, audio, thermostats, door locks and security systems, and utilises Azure IoT services so everything works together intelligently.
Connected devices like these can help both individuals and businesses save time and money, according to Microsoft.
Parker highlighted an array of devices designed for Windows 10 including PCs from Acer, ASUS, Dell, HP and Toshiba:
In addition, Parker demonstrated two new PC form factors:
Also showcased was a new GPU from NVIDIA that enables a high-performance gaming experience on Windows 10.
GeForce GTX 980 Ti has three times the performance and memory than previous generations (versus GTX 680), has 4K resolution and supports key DirectX 12 features such as Volume Tiled Resources and Conservative Rasters to enable graphics effects on Windows 10.