Microsoft has confirmed that it will still let OEMs sell new PCs with Windows 7 Professional pre-installed beyond its original lifecycle date of October 2014. Windows Pro is used by business customers.
Past October 31st, however, the OEMs will not be able to sell PCs with the consumer editions of Windows 7 pre-installed.
When pressed for reasons behind the change, Windows senior business program manager Shad Larsen said it had nothing to do with a lack of adoption for Windows 8 by enterprise customers or the upcoming end-of-life for Windows XP.
Rather, Larsen says business customers remain in the mid-cycle of deploying the Windows 7 operating system, so Microsoft wants to make it easier to have businesses buy it.
Looking farther out, Windows 7's end-of-life for free support is January 13th, 2015, with extended support through January, 2020.
When pressed for reasons behind the change, Windows senior business program manager Shad Larsen said it had nothing to do with a lack of adoption for Windows 8 by enterprise customers or the upcoming end-of-life for Windows XP.
Rather, Larsen says business customers remain in the mid-cycle of deploying the Windows 7 operating system, so Microsoft wants to make it easier to have businesses buy it.
Looking farther out, Windows 7's end-of-life for free support is January 13th, 2015, with extended support through January, 2020.
