Gartner Says Windows 8 Marks the Beginning of the WinRT Era
STAMFORD, Conn., June 26, 2012-
Windows 8 marks the beginning of the new WinRT (Windows
Runtime) computing era and the beginning of the end of the
WinNT era, according to Gartner, Inc. The combination of the
WinRT programming model, a new user interface (UI), and
legacy WinNT support will allow users to continue running
their Win32 programs alongside new WinRT apps.
Gartner analysts said WinRT is a new platform designed to
keep Microsoft relevant in a future that will be dominated
by mobile devices. Microsoft will position WinRT as its
strategic platform for new development, but most users will
continue to run Win32 applications for 10 or more years.
"Windows 8 is the start of Microsoft's effort to
respond to market demands and competitors, as it provides a
common interface and programming API set from phones to
servers. It is also the beginning of the end of Win32
applications on the desktop," said Michael Silver,
vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner.
"Microsoft will continue to support Win32, but it will
encourage developers to write more manageable and engaging
applications using WinRT."
Gartner expects that the Windows Desktop and legacy Windows
applications will decline in importance in future Windows
client releases. Metro is a new interface model that will
lock organizations into the next generation of Windows.
However, Mr. Silver said that enterprises will take many
years to move their applications to the new model, and it
will take at least five years for significant traction of
Metro-style apps to pervade all areas of user-facing
enterprise apps. Organizations planning to develop new
Win32 applications should switch to Metro for all new
user-facing applications beginning in 2013 and should focus
on external apps first and internal apps later.
"Windows 8 is more than a major upgrade to Windows -
it's a technology shift. We don't see technology
shifts too often; the only other one Microsoft's client
OS has gone through was the move from DOS technology to
Windows NT technology, which began in 1993 and took eight
years, ending with the introduction of Windows XP in
2001," said Steve Kleynhans, vice president for client
and mobile computing.
While Microsoft is not forcing anyone to eliminate Win32
applications or preventing developers from writing them,
Gartner believes that Win32 and the Windows Desktop will
become less strategic over time. Most business users who
adopt Windows 8 through to 2015 will spend most of their
time in the desktop running Win32 applications and the
desktop browser. However, by 2020, analysts believe
enterprise end users will spend less than 10 percent of
their time in Win32 applications. Most applications
(including OS-neutral ones) and the browser will be run
from Metro. Eventually, most Win32 desktop applications are
likely to be run using server-based computing (SBC) or from
hosted virtual desktops.
"The user computing world is changing. PCs, although
still critical components of the computing landscape, are
no longer the only devices for delivering services and
applications to users. Smartphones and tablets are
fulfilling the role of the primary device for an increasing
group of users, and most of these devices are from vendors
other than Microsoft," said Mr. Kleynhans. "In
this environment, Microsoft needs to move to a platform
that enables a new type of application, and embraces new
types of user experiences. Microsoft is responding to
competitive pressures that have made it rethink not only
how its products should look, but also how they should be
architected for security and manageability."
Additional information is available in the Gartner report
"Windows 8 Changes Windows as We Know It." The
report is available on Gartner's website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=2037415.
Contacts:
Christy Pettey
Gartner
+1 408 468 8312
christy.pettey@gartner.com
Laurence Goasduff
Gartner
+ 44 1784 267 195
laurence.goasduff@gartner.com
About Gartner:
Gartner, Inc. (NYSE: IT) is the world's leading
information technology research and advisory company. Gartner
delivers the technology-related insight necessary for its
clients to make the right decisions, every day. From CIOs and
senior IT leaders in corporations and government agencies, to
business leaders in high-tech and telecom enterprises and
professional services firms, to technology investors, Gartner
is the valuable partner to clients in 12,000 distinct
organizations. Through the resources of Gartner Research,
Gartner Executive Programs, Gartner Consulting and Gartner
Events, Gartner works with every client to research, analyze
and interpret the business of IT within the context of their
individual role. Founded in 1979, Gartner is headquartered in
Stamford, Connecticut, U.S.A., and has 5,000 associates,
including 1,280 research analysts and consultants, and
clients in 85 countries.
www.gartner.com.
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