你可能会问自己：微软(Microsoft)如何从Windows 10中赚钱？虽然有些手段是显而易见的，比如出售许可证，但其他手段却不是，而且该公司从Windows 10中获得的(Windows 10)收入(revenue generation)来源可能会相当令人惊讶。借助Windows 10，微软(Microsoft)不仅提供了新的操作系统(operating system)，还提供了不同的商业模式(business model)。以下是微软通过(Microsoft)Windows 10赚钱的方式：
1. 销售Windows 10(Windows 10)许可证（零售(Retail)、企业(Enterprise)和OEM）
首先(First)，Windows 10已经发售。尽管该公司允许Windows 7和 Windows 8.1 用户免费将其计算机升级到Windows 10，但它从未停止销售其新操作系统(operating system)的许可证。您可以直接从Microsoft(Microsoft)以及商店和Microsoft合作伙伴处购买Windows 10作为零售软件。考虑到所有Windows 10版本的价格都在 100美元(USD)以上，该公司肯定从零售许可证中赚了一些钱。
然而，大笔资金来自向企业出售Windows 10许可证，这些许可证是批量销售的，用于拥有数千台计算机的企业网络。这些合同由微软(Microsoft)直接与其最大的客户协商，细节并未公开。如果您想了解更多信息，请访问：微软企业协议(Microsoft Enterprise Agreement)。
除了在零售店销售Windows 10外，(Windows 10)微软(Microsoft)还销售Windows 10的(Windows 10)OEM许可证。您从商店购买的大多数新计算机、笔记本电脑和类似设备都预装了Windows 10 。尽管您可能认为您免费获得它，但事实是您没有。制造商为他们在销售的计算机和设备上安装的Windows 10许可证批量支付微软费用。(Microsoft)这些许可证称为OEM（原始设备制造商(Equipment Manufacturer)），它们与安装它们的产品相关联。换句话说，每次您购买新设备时，预装了Windows 10(Windows 10)，您购买了新的Windows 10许可证，尽管您的旧计算机上已经有一个。微软通过每台装有(Microsoft)Windows 10的新计算机来赚钱。
根据微软 2019 年第三季度业绩(Microsoft's 2019 Third Quarter Results)，该公司的Windows OEM Pro 收入增长 15%，Windows OEM(Windows OEM Pro revenue)收入(Windows OEM revenue)增长 1% 。
2. Office 365 和Microsoft 365订阅
许多新计算机和笔记本电脑都预装了Microsoft Office 应用程序。(Microsoft Office apps)当您打开它们时，系统会要求您购买Office 365订阅。但是，从2019 年 5 月(May 2019)更新(Update)开始的较新版本的Windows 10还包括Office Web应用程序的快捷方式。这些是Microsoft Office 应用程序(Microsoft Office apps)的免费、轻量级版本。听起来好得令人难以置信吗？为什么微软(Microsoft)会让你免费访问它的一些最受欢迎的软件？这个想法是您可以使用Web 应用程序(web apps)做一些基本的事情，但是，对于最复杂的任务，您需要完整的Office 套件(Office suite)。就在那时 微软(Microsoft)告诉你"hey, you should subscribe to Office 365, which is only that amount of money per month!"不要忘记，这一切都是从Windows 10 PC的“开始”菜单中的几个链接开始的。(Start Menu)2019年第三季度(third quarter of 2019)，微软拥有 3420 万(Microsoft)Office 365消费者订阅用户。
另一种类似的创收方法是向各种规模的企业销售Microsoft 365订阅。这些订阅将 Windows 10 与Office 365(Office 365)捆绑在一起。
3. Microsoft Store中的(Microsoft Store)应用程序(Apps)、游戏、电影和其他项目
Windows 10的重要组成部分之一是Microsoft Store。该商店是一个门户，您可以从中下载和安装来自Microsoft和第三方的各种软件。Microsoft Store中的一些应用和游戏(apps and games)是免费的，但也有很多需要花钱(cost money)的。当您从Microsoft Store购买新的应用程序、游戏或电影时，该公司将获得其份额。第三方开发商有义务向Microsoft支付其商店收入的一部分。(Store)
4.预装在Windows 10中的(Windows 10)Bloatware应用程序(Bloatware)
在Windows 10中，微软(Microsoft)似乎永远忘记了提供没有过时软件的操作系统(operating system)的想法。看来，他们不仅放弃了旧的Microsoft 签名程序(Microsoft Signature program)，而且公司转向了相反的方向。在Windows 10中，微软(Microsoft)捆绑了大量没人想要的过时软件应用程序(bloatware apps)。即使您全新安装了操作系统(operating system)，您仍然会在“开始”菜单中看到一些(Start Menu)英国媒体报道应用程序和游戏(bloatware apps and games)，例如Candy Crush Saga。微软(Microsoft)从想要他们的开发人员那里获得资金(apps or games)要捆绑在Windows 10中的(Windows 10)应用程序或游戏。这些应用程序和游戏中的每一个，您都没有要求，对Redmond 公司(Redmond company)来说意味着一些美元。对用户来说不是很好，但对Microsoft来说很好。
幸运的是，您可以摆脱微软在(Microsoft)Windows 10中捆绑的那些讨厌的过时软件应用(bloatware apps)程序。要了解更多信息，请阅读本指南：阻止(Stop)Windows 10在开始菜单(Start Menu)上推广应用程序。
5. Windows 10 中的广告
整个Windows 10 操作系统(operating system)充斥着广告。显然，他们的主要目的是为微软(Microsoft)创造收入。我们不知道多少钱，但如果他们不赚钱，公司就不会使用它们。Windows 10在开始菜单(Start Menu)和任务栏、锁定屏幕(Lock Screen)、文件资源管理器(File Explorer)和操作中心(Action Center)中显示广告。
好消息是，如果您遵循以下指南，您可以禁用所有这些广告并且再也看不到它们：Windows 10 广告：如何从任何地方关闭它们。
6. Windows 10 中的搜索功能
如果您使用Windows 10中的搜索，您也可能会使用Bing ，因为在(Bing)Windows 10中进行的所有网络搜索都由Bing提供支持。如果你不知道，Bing是微软(Microsoft)自己的互联网搜索引擎(internet search engine)，是谷歌(Google)的替代品。这是公司根据您的搜索向您展示广告的完美环境。
根据微软 2019 年第三季度(Microsoft's 2019 Third Quarter Results)财报，该公司的% search advertising revenue growth。其中一小部分收入来自Windows 10的(Windows 10)搜索功能(search feature)。
7. OneDrive 订阅
OneDrive是Microsoft用于在云中托管文件的存储服务(storage service)。在Windows 10中，它被捆绑为系统应用程序(system app)，始终在后台运行。对于Windows 10用户来说，好消息是OneDrive可以免费使用。坏消息是，只要您不使用所有可用空间，它就是免费的。可以说，可用空间并不多，您可能很快就会发现自己需要更多空间。那是微软(Microsoft)开始赚钱的时候：因为你已经迷上了使用自己的云存储服务(storage service)的好处，微软(Microsoft)要求你购买订阅以获得更多空间OneDrive，或购买包含OneDrive的(OneDrive)Office 365。
8. Skype 订阅
Windows 10 还捆绑了由微软运营和拥有的(Microsoft)Skype。无论是聊天还是音频和视频通话，它都是一款出色的应用程序。许多商业用户经常使用它。Skype的一个优点是它还可以让您拨打国际上的固定电话号码和移动电话号码。你猜怎么了？如果你想这样做，微软(Microsoft)会向你出售分钟或订阅。
Skype也是Office 365的一部分。当您购买Office 365计划时，您还可以获得(Office 365)Skype分钟数。
您如何看待微软如何通过(Microsoft)Windows 10赚钱？
微软通过(Microsoft)Windows 10创收的方式不止几种。在过去的几年里，该公司已经找到了将用户货币化的新方法，因此他们赚的钱比以往任何时候都多。有些人可能与他们的用户相处得很好，而另一些人则不然。例如，许多用户不喜欢他们的开始菜单(Start Menu)充满了广告和英国媒体报道软件。在结束本文之前，请告诉我们您对Windows 10以及 Microsoft 如何使用此操作系统(operating system)赚钱的看法。
8 ways in which Microsoft makes money from Windows 10
You might ask yourself: how doeѕ Miсrosoft make money from Windows 10? Although some means are obvious, such as selling licenses, others are not, аnd the company's revenue generation sources from Windowѕ 10 may be quitе surprising. With Windows 10, Microsoft delivered not onlу a new oрerating system, but also a different business model. Here are the ways in which Microsoft makes money from Windows 10:
1. Selling licenses of Windows 10 (Retail, Enterprise, and OEM)
First of all, Windows 10 is available for sale. Although the company allowed users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 to upgrade their computers to Windows 10 for free, it never stopped selling licenses for their new operating system. Windows 10 is available for you to buy as retail software directly from Microsoft, as well as from shops and Microsoft partners. Considering that all Windows 10 editions are priced above 100 USD, the company is definitely making some good money from the retail licenses.
However, the big money is made from selling Windows 10 licenses to Enterprises, which are sold in bulk, for corporate networks with thousands of computers. Those contracts are negotiated directly by Microsoft with their largest customers, and details are not made public. If you would like to know more, visit: Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.
Besides selling Windows 10 in retail stores, Microsoft also sells OEM licenses for Windows 10. Most new computers, laptops and similar devices that you buy from stores, come with Windows 10 preinstalled. Although you might think that you are getting it for free, the truth is that you don't. Manufacturers pay Microsoft in bulk, for the Windows 10 licenses that they installed on the computers and devices that they are selling. Those licenses are called OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer), and they are tied to the products on which they are installed. In other words, each time you buy a new device with Windows 10 preinstalled, you buy a new Windows 10 license, although you already had one on your old computer. Microsoft makes money with each new computer that is sold with Windows 10 on it.
According to Microsoft's 2019 Third Quarter Results, the company had a 15% Windows OEM Pro revenue growth, and a 1% Windows OEM revenue growth.
2. Office 365 and Microsoft 365 subscriptions
Many new computers and laptops come with Microsoft Office apps pre-installed. When you open them, you are asked to buy a subscription to Office 365. However, newer versions of Windows 10, starting with May 2019 Update, also include shortcuts to the Office web apps. These are free, lightweight versions of the Microsoft Office apps. Does it sound too good to be true? Why would Microsoft give you access for free to some of its most popular software? The idea is that you get to do basic stuff using the web apps, but, for the most complex tasks, you need the full Office suite. And that's when Microsoft tells you that "hey, you should subscribe to Office 365, which is only that amount of money per month!" Do not forget that it all started from a few links well placed in the Start Menu from your Windows 10 PC. In the third quarter of 2019, Microsoft had 34.2 million consumer subscribers to Office 365.
Another similar method of generating revenue is through selling Microsoft 365 subscriptions to businesses of all sizes. These subscriptions bundle together Windows 10 with Office 365.
3. Apps, games, movies and other items from the Microsoft Store
One of the essential parts of Windows 10 is the Microsoft Store. The store is a portal from which you can download and install various software, both from Microsoft and from third parties. Some of the apps and games from the Microsoft Store are free, but there are also a lot of them that cost money. When you buy a new app, game or a movie from the Microsoft Store, the company gets its share. Third-party developers are obliged to pay a share of their Store revenues to Microsoft.
4. Bloatware apps that are preinstalled in Windows 10
With Windows 10, Microsoft seems to have forever forgotten the idea of offering an operating system that is free from bloatware. It seems that, not only did they ditch the old Microsoft Signature program, but the company shifted to the opposite direction. In Windows 10, Microsoft bundles plenty of bloatware apps that nobody wants. Even when you clean install the operating system, you still get some bloatware apps and games such as Candy Crush Saga in your Start Menu. Microsoft gets money from the developers who want their apps or games to be bundled in Windows 10. Each of those apps and games, that you didn't ask for, mean some dollars for the Redmond company. Not great for users, but great for Microsoft.
Fortunately, you can get rid of those pesky bloatware apps that Microsoft bundles in Windows 10. To know more, read this guide: Stop Windows 10 from promoting apps on the Start Menu.
5. Advertisements in Windows 10
The entire Windows 10 operating system is riddled with advertisements. Obviously, their main purpose is to generate revenue for Microsoft. We don't know how much but, if they didn't make money, the company wouldn't have used them. Windows 10 shows ads in the Start Menu and on the taskbar, on the Lock Screen, in File Explorer, and the Action Center.
The good thing is that you can disable all these ads and never see them again if you follow this guide: Windows 10 ads: How to turn them off from everywhere.
6. The search feature in Windows 10
If you are using the search from Windows 10, you are also likely to use Bing, because all the web searches made in Windows 10 are powered by Bing. If you didn't know, Bing is Microsoft's own internet search engine, and an alternative to Google. It is the perfect environment for the company to show you advertisements based on the searches that you make.
According to Microsoft's 2019 Third Quarter Results, the company had a 12% search advertising revenue growth. A small part of that revenue is generated by the search feature from Windows 10.
7. OneDrive subscriptions
OneDrive is Microsoft's storage service for hosting files in the cloud. In Windows 10, it is bundled as a system app, that is always running in the background. The good news for Windows 10 users is that OneDrive is free to use. The bad news is that it's free only as long as you do not use all your free space. Arguably, that free space is not that much, and you might soon find yourself needing more. That's when Microsoft starts making money: because you are already hooked up on the benefits of using your own cloud storage services, Microsoft asks you to buy a subscription for more space in OneDrive, or to buy Office 365, which includes OneDrive.
8. Skype subscriptions
Windows 10 also bundles Skype, which is run and owned by Microsoft. It's a great app both for chatting and for audio and video calls. Many business users use it regularly. An advantage of Skype is that it also lets you call landline phone numbers and mobile phone numbers, internationally. Guess what? If you want to do that, Microsoft sells you minutes or subscriptions.
Skype is also part of Office 365. When you buy an Office 365 plan, you also get minutes on Skype.
What is your opinion on how Microsoft makes money from Windows 10?
There are more than a few ways in which Microsoft generates revenue from Windows 10. Over the last few years, the company has found new ways of monetizing its users, so that they make more money than ever before. Some may sit well with their users, while others do not. For example, many users do not enjoy how their Start Menu is filled with advertisements and bloatware. Before closing this article, tell us your opinion about Windows 10 and how Microsoft uses this operating system to make money.
