The president of Microsoft France is adding weight to expectations Microsoft will show off Windows 9 (also known as Threshold) at an upcoming press conference, though a member of the tech titan's public relations team says the attributed statement being reported is actually a bobbled translation.
Microsoft France President Alain Crozier's comments at a recent press event were initially reported and interpreted as the following:
"Last year we had Windows 8. In the next few minutes, the next few days, we'll be releasing Windows 9."
Nicolas Petit, director of Microsoft France's marketing and operations division, sent the following statement to ZDNET France to correct the translation of Crozier's statement:
"We look forward to seeing you in late September, in San Francisco, for the future of Windows, which actually at this stage does not have a name as such."
Microsoft may be unwilling to reveal it's preparing to talk about Windows 9 at its Sept. 30 press event, but the tech world has concluded the software giant is primed and ready to surge past Windows 8.
One big reason is that Windows 8 hasn't quite been a shining moment and Microsoft is likely hoping to separate its next OS release from the "negative brand equity in the name" of Windows 8, according to Gartner analyst Michael Silver.
While the existence of Threshold has been confirmed, and Microsoft plans to demo it to developers at its press conference, It's possible the software Microsoft reveals won't be a new iteration of Windows. Microsoft, say some industry watchers, could be preparing to announce a massive expansion of Windows 8 services. Silver points out the company looks to be in need of another stream of revenue to propel its operating system.
"Microsoft is changing from a company that was Windows-centric to one that is services-centric," said Silver. "It has to be that way. Windows revenue is likely going to decline, and Microsoft's task is to replace that Windows revenue with revenue from services on all sorts of platforms."
Crozier's alleged confirmation of Microsoft's intentions to show off Windows 9 on Sept. 30 compliment earlier leaks that showed a mock up of a Windows 9 logo and a new version of the Start menu, which blended elements of Windows 8's Metro interface into the traditional Start menu format.
