8 Things Microsoft Just Revealed About Windows 10

Windows 10 Developments

Microsoft revealed new information about the release date and partnerships for its new operating system, Windows 10, at the Windows Hardware Engineering Community Summit in Shenzhen, China, on Tuesday.

Microsoft, Redmond, Wash., gave a detailed glimpse of Windows 10 features and partner opportunities at an event in January. This week, Terry Myerson, Microsoft's vice president of operating systems, said Windows 10 will be launching this summer.

Following is a collection of the features, partnerships and technologies that Myerson said will be part of the Windows 10 final release.

8. Lenovo Partnership

Myerson said Microsoft has partnered with China-based Lenovo, a leading PC manufacturer, to offer Windows 10 upgrade services at 2,500 service centers around China when the upgrade becomes available.

According to Myerson, this partnership will enable consumers to easily upgrade their various Windows to Windows 10. In addition, Lenovo will build Windows phones, which will be available midyear 2015.

7. Tencent, Qihu 360 And Xiaomi Partnerships

Microsoft announced partnerships with Chinese companies Tencent, Qihu 360 and Xiaomi to push its Windows 10 platform in China.

Tencent, a gaming services company, will offer Windows 10 as a free upgrade to customers on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 in China. Qihu 360, a security company in China, will bring free Windows 10 versions to their customers through upgrades.

Finally, Chinese smartphone vendor Xiaomi will help promote Windows 10 by inviting a group of its customers using the Mi 4 smartphone to test the Windows 10 OS on phones and contribute to the OS release later in the year.

The Chinese partnerships show that Microsoft is trying to push its platform in China, where its existing phone operating system, Windows Phone, has not been widely adopted, partners said.

6. Windows For IoT Devices

Microsoft revealed that it will release a new version of Windows for small footprint Internet-of-Things devices when its Windows 10 OS launches.

According to Myerson, Windows 10 will offer versions of Windows for a range of IoT devices that include ATMs, gateways and ultrasound machines. Myerson also stated that Microsoft has been working with companies like Intel, Qualcomm and the Raspberry Pi foundation to provide various options to commercial device builders.

5. Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C

In addition to a new version of Windows for IoT devices, Microsoft introduced the first Windows 10 developer board. Windows 10 devices will run on the Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C platform, containing integrated Wi-Fi, GPS, Bluetooth and a smartphone-class Snapdragon 410 chipset.

"Windows 10 is the only platform that supports innovation across such a broad family of hardware and we are committed to investing in the success of our partners and supporting their development activities," Myerson said in the blog post.

4. Passport

Microsoft announced its Windows 10 programming system for IT managers, software developers and website authors, code-named Passport.

The system enables users to sign into their websites and apps in a more secure manner, through requiring a PIN number for authentication as opposed to the less secure password system. Passport will be able to verify user authenticity locally and then communicate with other services to allow the user to sign in.

Passport is one of many measures Microsoft has taken to push security features on its newest OS Windows 10.

3. Windows Hello

Microsoft also unveiled Windows Hello, a biometric authentication platform that can help users provide instant access to their Windows 10 devices.

The secure platform allows users to show their face or touch their fingers to devices with Windows 10 and be immediately recognized. In addition, the system enables users to authenticate applications and enterprise content without any passwords stored on the device or network server.

Microsoft hopes the service will make devices carrying the Windows 10 platform more personalized.

According to Myerson, Microsoft is working closely with hardware partners to make sure that various devices will be capable of delivering Windows 10, and also working to incorporate the Intel RealSense 3-D camera into devices to operate with the facial and iris unlock features of Windows Hello.

2. The Death Of Internet Explorer?

In January, Microsoft announced Project Spartan, a new Internet browser that will ship with Windows 10.

More recently, analysts and partners have speculated that the new browser will completely replace Microsoft's current browser, Internet Explorer, after the company recently confirmed it will use a new name for the upcoming browser successor, according to The Verge.

The next-generation browser will be built around Windows 10 with greater interoperability. It also will feature the ability to annotate using a keyboard or pen, integrate Cortana to efficiently find items online, and a simplified layout for reading, according to Microsoft.

1. Summer Release

Along with the announcement of Windows Hello and Passport, Myerson said Windows 10 will be released globally at an unspecified time during the summer. He noted that the new operating system will be made available in 190 countries and 111 languages.

Microsoft's upcoming summer release for its newest OS came as a surprise to partners, as the company usually releases its software and hardware products in the fall.