Report: Windows Education Devices Doubled Closest Competitor

We continue to be excited by the strong momentum we see for Windows 10 – from well over 200 million devices running Windows 10, to developers embracing Windows 10 and delivering all new apps and experiences, to enterprise customers like the US Department of Defense adopting Windows 10 at record pace. And now, according to Futuresource*, we see that Windows continues to be the leading, global platform for K-12 education, with twice as many Windows devices shipped in 2015 as the closest competitor. In fact, in the last year alone, Futuresource is reporting a 20% spike in Windows device sales.

Windows 10 offers a familiar and more personal experience for students and educators, enabling them to be more productive. With free anti-virus software in Windows Defender, currently helping protect over 300 million devices, and other security features like Windows Hello, Windows 10 offers a safer and more secure experience.

With all new Windows 10 devices tailor made for education and perfect for students, we are seeing strong demand for Windows 10 in the classroom. A range of affordable, durable, and innovative Windows 10 devices are perfect for students, including the Acer Travel Mate B117, Asus Transformer Book Flip TP 200, Dell Latitude II Education Series (Model 3150), HP Stream 11 PRO Notebook PC, Lenovo N22, and Surface Pro 4. These Windows 10 devices start at $199 and offer a broad range of devices for any budget.

Teachers and students around the world are loving Windows 10 – here are a few of my favorite stories.

Brescia House School – Johannesburg, South Africa

“We implemented Windows 10 to take advantage of the additional education-specific features,” says Lyneth Crighton, head of innovation and staff development at Brescia House School in Johannesburg, South Africa. “Students enjoy the touchscreen abilities and Office 365 features,” Crighton said, while “the teachers love being able to use educational apps they find in the Windows Store and OneNote Class Notebooks.”

Cornerstone Christian Academy – Shelbyville, Kentucky

Students from pre-kindergarten through the 12^th grade at Cornerstone Christian Academy in Shelbyville, Kentucky use Surface devices for their schoolwork. “The Windows 10 upgrade has been the most anticipated event for our students,” says Stephanie Sorrell, IT director at the school. “Every student and teacher cannot wait to get their Surface upgraded to Windows 10 and enjoy the new user experience. The best thing for us is the Windows 10 upgrade has been the most seamless Windows upgrade I’ve ever experienced. Windows 10 has been a win all the way around at CCA!”

Escuela del Deporte de San Juan in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Windows 10 is “the foundation of our innovative practices, allowing for us to extend learning even beyond the classroom,” says English teacher and professor Yaiza Burgoa. “And it is an operating system that is easy to learn, easy to use and easy to build on.”

Lowanna College in Australia

Because Windows 10 is compatible with older devices, students and their families are still able to use those devices while getting all the advantages of Windows 10, which is free, says Matt Robinson, Lowanna College’s Information & Communication Technology Manager. “The migration to Windows 10 has truly been a win-win,” Robinson says. “It’s helped our community gain a better return on investment, and also helped achieve our vision of providing students with 24/7 access to technology both at school and at home.”

It’s particularly exciting to see the impact technology – and Windows – can have on students’ lives around the world. We’re honored to play a role in their education. Students in schools participating in the DreamSpark program, or those who are eligible for the Windows student use benefit, may be able to download Windows 10 Education as a benefit of their school’s partnership with Microsoft. And families can take advantage of the free upgrade offer to Windows 10, which applies to Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 PCs and tablets.

Windows 10 Education is available for educators through Microsoft Volume Licensing and we welcome their ongoing feedback on how we can make Windows great for schools.

Thank you for choosing Windows as the most popular global platform for education. To learn more about how Microsoft is empowering students around the world to achieve more, go here.

Yusuf

* Futuresource’s 2015 market report tracks sales of mobile computers (excluding desktops) into K-12 education. Mobile computer category includes Notebook, Chromebook, Netbook and Tablets.