Microsoft just finished the special version of Windows 10 it built for the Chinese government, which takes out some consumer apps while adding more security controls.
The deal to build such an operating system, called Windows 10 Zhuangongban, or "Specially-provided edition", was announced by the company back in December. The first version of the OS is complete, according to a new report in Chinese magazine Caixin.
The magazine spoke with Ralph Haupter, Microsoft's China Regional CEO, who didn't offer much detail on what's different in the new build. But he did say a number of consumer apps and services were removed while more management and security controls were baked in.
Building a special Windows 10 just for the Chinese government makes sense for Microsoft. A number of government offices in China are still running Windows XP, while some others have even tried to develop their own version of Linux, called NeoKylin. With this deal, Microsoft secures a large software market that will continue to rely on it for updates and support.
The software is a result of a joint venture with China Electronics Technology Group headquartered in Beijing called C&M Technologies. The venture was created solely to build and support Windows 10 use for state-owned enterprises in China.
"We’ll continue to keep Windows 10 secure and sustain our strong privacy standards, while recognizing that public sector solutions may differ from technology offered to private sector enterprises and consumers around the world," the company said in a blog post in December.
