The Cloudy Future of Windows

Twenty-four years ago, Microsoft launched one of the best remembered ad campaigns in the history of Madison Avenue. The focus of the campaign, albeit elliptically, was the then-pending release of Windows 95, the 15th iteration of the world's most ubiquitous (even at the time) computer operating system. The tag line, "Where do you want to go today," is still alive and well in the vernacular.

It was the beginning of a roughly 20-year Golden Age for Windows, when it became the premiere studmuffin software offering across the entire IT industry. The release of a new Windows operating system became a fanfare-laden, champagne and roses milestone. Consumers and tech geeks alike breathlessly awaited the announcement of new tweaks and innovations.

The air began to leak out of the balloon a bit with the faceplant release of Windows 8, which was quickly replaced by the hastily rejiggered Windows 8.1, and practically forgotten by the time that Windows 10 firmly revived and reseated the brand atop its OS throne. Except that then a funny thing happened: In 2015, Microsoft announced that there would never be a Windows 11.

That's right. Instead of carrying forth its largely uninterrupted hit parade of flashy new versions, Microsoft would quietly continue to refine and upgrade Windows 10. Beyond that, however, it would shift business and development emphasis away from the company's signature product. There were, it seemed evident at the time, bigger fish to fry.

Roughly three years later, the company has openly confirmed that it is putting what will no doubt continue to be a meticulously groomed and well-fed cow out to pasture: the era of Windows is over. The bigger fish, largely including Microsoft's increasingly popular cloud platform Azure, are in the skillet. Another of those fish is Office 365, the well-known Microsoft productivity suite.

That's right, Microsoft is pivoting away from Windows, and one of its key areas of new focus is the long-tenured Office. Tools like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Access, in other words, are about to become the rock stars of the next generation of one of the most successful software companies of ever. In other words, don't expect these tools to vanish from circulation anytime soon.

That's good news for tech workers who have already honed their Office skills. Those who haven't should consider quickly getting up to speed. And here at TestOut Continuing Education, we have one of the best Office education products available, Desktop Pro. Don't miss out on Microsoft's big shift in emphasis. Hone your skills today with the best training money can buy.