Microsoft Corp, the world’s largest software company, is to jointly develop Internet of Things (IoT) solutions with Japanese electronics maker Toshiba Corp, a company official said at Computex Taipei yesterday.
Their collaboration aims to bring together Microsoft’s Azure IoT cloud-computing platform and Toshiba’s wireless communication devices and sensors, Microsoft Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) Division corporate vice president Nick Parker said in a keynote speech at the annual information technology fair.
“The cooperation between the companies will provide a new level of data access and business intelligence to customers,” Parker said, adding that the companies expect to release complete solutions for the transportation and logistics industry this year.
Photo: CNA
The IoT solutions will include Toshiba’s hardware devices, such as a vehicle-mounted video recorder that can also analyze driver behaviors and track vehicle data to help customers track shipping and ensure the goods arrive on time and undamaged, Parker said.
The solution will include up to 12 onboard sensors, a military-grade case and a battery that power the system for six months running Azure’s cloud infrastructure, he said.
Commenting on the upcoming launch of the Windows 10 operating system, which is to be released on July 29, corporate vice president for Windows and Search Marketing Tony Prophet said the company expects 1 billion devices to be running the new operating system within three years.
Acer Inc’s (宏碁) corporation business planning and operation president Tiffany Huang (黃資婷) said Windows 10 would significantly boost the company’s commercial PC sales next year.
“Windows 10 might drive consumer PC demand slowly in the second half, as it will take time for consumers to familiarize themselves with it,” she said. “However, we expect it to boost commercial PC demand next year.”
Microsoft yesterday confirmed that it will drop the manufacturer’s royalty fee for Windows 10 for devices less than 9 inches in size.
Eddie Wu (吳勝雄), general manager of the consumer channels group at Microsoft Taiwan, cited Microsoft OEM Hardware and Marketing Lead-Worldwide Marlowe Dayley as saying that the software giant has decided to continue its free licensing program for OEM and original design manufacturer (ODM) partners as it did last year.
However, Microsoft has not finalized the hardware specifications for devices of less than 9-inches, such as phones and small tablets, which are eligible for the free licensing program for Windows 10, Wu told a press briefing.
Dealers have estimated that global shipments of Windows-based devices of less than 9 inches will increase by nearly 40 percent year-on-year to about 50 million units this year, according to a report published by the Chinese-language Economic Daily News.
Additional reporting by CNA
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