Dive Brief:
- Microsoft confirmed this week plans to charge enterprises a monthly subscription fee for Windows 10 usage.
- In an "as a service" model, enterprises will be asked to pay $7 per user per month for an enterprise tier of Windows 10 called Windows 10 Enterprise E3 beginning in the fall, according to a PCWorld report.
- The change does not affect consumers, many of whom flocked to Windows based on the premise that it was free.
Dive Insight:
More companies are moving to subscription models, which can allow organizations to build in new efficiencies, create a steady stream of revenue and allow for larger partnerships with solutions providers. Last month, Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins said his company intends to create and begin testing a new network software subscription model within the "next few quarters."
More and more, Microsoft is turning to service-based models for its product portfolio. Earlier this week, Microsoft announced it was rolling out subscription service offerings for both Windows 10 and Surface.
Separately, but perhaps not coincidentally, Microsoft is boasting that companies and organizations can save up to $404 per employee over a three-year span by adopting Windows 10, according to financial analysis conducted by Forrester and commissioned by Microsoft.
Forrester’s analysis leaves some room for interpretation, but the net result, according to Forrester and Microsoft, is that migrating to Windows 10 can pay for itself at most companies in 13 months.
