Windows 8 update coming this year: Microsoft

Microsoft said Tuesday it has sold more than 100 million licenses for the Windows 8 operating system launched six months ago, and will release an updated version later this year.

Microsoft said Tuesday it has sold more than 100 million licenses for the Windows 8 operating system launched six months ago, and will release an updated version later this year.

'Windows Blue is a code name for an update that will be available later this year, building on the bold vision set forward with Windows 8 to deliver the next generation of tablets and PCs,' said Windows chief marketing officer Tami Reller in a blog post.

'It will deliver the latest new innovations across an increasingly broad array of form factors of all sizes, display, battery life and performance, while creating new opportunities for our ecosystem.'

She added that Windows Blue 'is part of a broader effort to advance our devices and services for Microsoft.'

Reller noted that 'we recently surpassed the 100 million licenses sold mark for Windows 8,' including for new devices and upgrades. That is up from 60 million in the latest company update in January.

Commenting on the lukewarm response to Windows 8, Reller said the new operating system 'is a big, ambitious change.'

'While we realize that change takes time, we feel good about the progress since launch, including what we've been able to accomplish with the ecosystem and customer reaction to the new PCs and tablets that are available now or will soon come to market,' she added.

Microsoft launched Windows 8 last October, revamping its flagship system in an effort to make inroads in the fast-growing mobile segment. At the same time, it launched its Surface tablet computer.

Windows, the first version of which was launched in the 1990s, remains the dominant PC platform with some 90 percent of the world market. But in the mobile world, it is struggling against Apple's iOS and Google's Android system.

The company sold a modest 900,000 of its Surface tablets in the first quarter, according to research firm IDC.