Microsoft Admits Windows 10 Will Miss Adoption Target

Before Microsoft launched Windows 10 last year, it announced a self-imposed deadline for the new operating system to be installed on 1 billion devices by Summer 2018. As we near the end of the free Windows 10 upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 period, though, the Redmond company has conceded that it fail to hit that target. So far, Microsoft isn’t even halfway to its goal, with the OS currently installed on 350 million monthly active devices.

“Windows 10 is off to the hottest start in history with over 350m monthly active devices, with record customer satisfaction and engagement,” a Microsoft spokesperson told ZDNet. “We’re pleased with our progress to date, but due to the focusing of our phone hardware business, it will take longer than FY18 [the period until mid-2018] for us to reach our goal of 1 billion monthly active devices. In the year ahead, we are excited about usage growth coming from commercial deployments and new devices — and increasing customer delight with Windows.”

Microsoft seems to have put a lot of stock in its “Get Windows 10” nagware for Windows 7 and 8, but more users than anticipated have resisted the pressure to upgrade. The company has claimed that its failure to hit the 1 billion mark by 2018 is due to its renewed focus on the smartphone market.