Microsoft\u2019s New Monthly Charge for Windows 10 has been reviewed but we feel is going to be targeted to business rather than everyone.<\/p>\n
Ever since its creation,\u00a0Microsoft\u00a0MSFT -0.6%\u00a0has described Windows 10 \u201cas a service\u201d. The fear has always been that this meant Microsoft would start charging users a monthly fee to maintain the operating system, and now a new leak has confirmed this is exactly what will happen\u2026<\/p>\n
In a\u00a0new report, CNet\u2019s well connected Microsoft specialist Mary Jo Foley reports the company will soon launch \u2018Microsoft Managed Desktop\u2019 which will charge a monthly fee to configure computers running Windows 10 and keep them running smoothly as new updates are released.
Foley also notes \u201cMicrosoft already has a number of the pieces in place to make this happen\u201d such as a Windows Autopilot automatic device provisioning service, device financing programs like Surface Plus and a \u2018Surface as a Service\u2019 leasing program. Microsoft also has a subscription bundle including Windows 10 and Office 365 called\u00a0Microsoft 365\u00a0and\u00a0Windows 10 Enterprise subscription plans.
Furthermore, Foley states \u201cOne of my contacts said that Bill Karagounis \u2013 former Director of the Windows Insider Program & OS Fundamentals team, who last year joined the Enterprise Mobility and Management part of Windows and Devices \u2013 is in charge of the coming Microsoft Managed Desktop.\u201d
With Microsoft also\u00a0publicly hiring\u00a0for this new division, managed subscriptions for Windows 10 appear to have the green light.
So what\u2019s the good news? At this time, Foley believes Microsoft Managed Desktop will be targeted at businesses. But the obvious question, given the clear direction Microsoft is moving becomes: for how long?
Foley did ask Microsoft to go on the record about Microsoft Managed Desktop, but the company declined to comment.
All of which means those users who chose to stay on Windows 7 and Windows 8 are probably feeling pretty smug right now. As for everyone who upgraded for \u2018free\u2019 to Windows 10, the nagging question must be: will it prove too good to be true?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Microsoft\u2019s New Monthly Charge for Windows 10 Microsoft\u2019s New Monthly Charge for Windows 10 has been reviewed but we feel is going to be targeted to business rather than everyone. Ever since its creation,\u00a0Microsoft\u00a0MSFT -0.6%\u00a0has described Windows 10 \u201cas a service\u201d. The fear has always been that this meant Microsoft would start charging users a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-80","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-tech-news"],"yoast_head":"\n