Microsoft announced today that it will be offering a free upgrade to Windows 10 for one year after its launch to existing users of Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1.
“Once a device is upgraded to Windows 10, we’ll be keeping it current for the supported lifetime for the device,” said Terry Myerson, chief of Microsoft’s operating systems division. Myerson explained that Windows would make a shift to being a service starting with Windows 10, and referred to the new operating system as “one of the largest internet services on the planet.”
In a Q&A following the Windows 10 event, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella clarified that shifting Windows to be a service did not mean the company has any plans to change the business model which would require an annual fee or a subscription.
Windows 10 is reportedly scheduled to release publicly in mid-2015.
(via Polygon)