Active Devices Running Windows 10 Surpass 400 Million, Microsoft Edge Receives Security Updates

Microsoft set the technology world abuzz with a series of exciting announcements unveiled at the Microsoft Ignite conference. Most notable among these revelations was the staggering growth in active devices running Windows 10, as reported by the software behemoth.

In a blog post by Yusuf Mehdi, Corporate Vice President of Windows and Devices Group at Microsoft, the active device count running Windows 10 has skyrocketed to over 400 million. This tremendous leap marks substantial growth, up from 300 million in May, and a further 200 million two months prior. Remarkably, within 24 hours of its release, Microsoft had reported a record-breaking 14 million devices running the new Windows 10 operating system.

Initially, based on the momentum generated at the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft had optimistically projected that the number of active devices will hit 1 billion by 2018. Now, however, it appears that even Microsoft harbours doubts about achieving this ambitious target in the given timeline.

This isn’t a reflection on the software itself but it seems to be more about the global outlook of the personal computing market. As our analysis of an IDC report in May showed, global PC shipments were on a downtrend in light of economic and political challenges, including events like Brexit. This decline, further exacerbated by the strength of the US dollar, turned the corner in July with a resurgence in PC shipments, led by the US market.

Despite the shaky numbers, market analysts are optimistic that the user-friendly Windows 10 could be a game-changer, rekindling the sagging trend as more and more users grow to appreciate it. With the conclusion of free upgrades on July 29th, there is an anticipation of increased PC sales as consumers buy new Windows 10-powered PCs.

Mehdi’s blog post wasn’t solely confined to user statistics. A pivotal part of the announcement covered security upgrades – the highlight being the introduction of the Windows Defender Application Guard for their Edge browser. The superior security offered by this technology guards against advanced internet threats and aims to protect user devices, corporate data, and entire enterprise networks from any incoming attacks.

In the alarming event of an enterprise network attack, the Application Guard springs into action, isolating the browser within a hardware-based container to prevent the malicious code from spreading across the device or infiltrating the enterprise network. Moreover, if an employee device becomes compromised by malware, the Application Guard ensures that the malware is contained, protecting vital company data.

The Microsoft Edge browser, with the latest inclusion of the Application Guard, offers a safe environment for enterprise activities with minimal risk of external attacks.

Furthermore, Microsoft has persevered to fortify enterprise security by integrating Windows Defender Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) and Office 365 ATP services. This combination allows IT to observe and execute responses to security threats more efficiently across Windows 10 and Office 365 platforms—making the Microsoft Security Graph even more robust. This major integration will be instrumental in safeguarding over 300 billion authentications processed each month, 200 billion emails screened for malware and phishing, and one billion Windows device updates.

As we step into 2017, the Office 365 ATP will extend its umbrella over Office tools and OneDrive for Business.

To wrap up the conference, Microsoft announced a sharp 33% decrease in security-related issues experienced by Windows 10 users, a testament to the effectiveness of their persistent security endeavours.

This post will be regularly updated to provide you with the freshest and most accurate news in the world of technology.