Microsoft on Thursday unveiled a new corporate logo for the first time in 25 years as the US tech giant geared up for a series of big product launches.
It features a symbol made up of four separate colored squares — reminiscent of the old Windows logo featuring wavy squares — next to the name of the company. The previous logo was simply the italicized name.
“Today’s new Microsoft logo is the first time the company has accompanied its logo with a symbol,” a spokeswoman said.
The move comes with Microsoft ramping up the buzz for its Windows 8 operating platform and its first tablet computer, called Surface. The company is also making an aggressive effort to gain ground in the smartphone market.
“It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change,” Microsoft brand strategy manager Jeff Hansen said.
“This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs,” he said.
“This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning,” he added.
The logo also includes the name Microsoft in the Segoe font that is used in products and marketing communications, along with the new squares.
“The symbol is important in a world of digital motion,” Hansen said. “The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products.”
The new logo is being used starting on Thursday on the Microsoft.com Web site and in three Microsoft retail stores yesterday.
“It will sign off all of our television ads globally,” Hansen said.
“We’re excited about the new logo, but more importantly about this new era in which we’re reimagining how our products can help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential,” he said.
Microsoft is set to release its Windows 8 operating system tailored for a world shifting from PCs to smartphones and tablets on Oct. 26. Finnish telecom giant Nokia and Microsoft are expected to unveil a smartphone equipped with the Windows Phone 8 operating system on Sept. 5.
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