Microsoft announces Windows 10 China Government Edition

Microsoft just wrapped up its Surface-themed event in Shanghai, China, where the company announced new Surface hardware as well as new efforts to develop its presence in the Chinese market. Indeed, the company unveiled Windows 10 China Government Edition, a new version of Windows 10 specifically designed for the Chinese government and state-owned entities.

The new Windows 10 SKU has been created by CMIT, the joint venture between Microsoft and China Electronics Technology Group (CETC). Terry Myerson, Executive Vice President of Microsoft’s Windows and Devices Group explained in a blog post that the company has “earnestly cooperated with the Chinese government on the security review of Windows 10.” He continued:

The Windows 10 China Government Edition is based on Windows 10 Enterprise Edition, which already includes many of the security, identity, deployment, and manageability features governments and enterprises need.  The China Government Edition will use these manageability features to remove features that are not needed by Chinese government employees like OneDrive, to manage all telemetry and updates, and to enable the government to use its own encryption algorithms within its computer systems.

Chinese manufacturer Lenovo will be one the first companies to ship new PCs with Windows 10 China Government Edition in the country. For now, three gorvernment entities will pilot the new OS: border agency China Customs, the City of Shangai and the state-owned company Westone Information Technology.

“Windows 10 is the most secure version of Windows ever, and we’re humbled that governments around the world like the U.S. Department of Defense, the Australian Health Department, and the Italian Ministry of Defense are choosing Windows 10 for their security, and now the Chinese government has a version of Windows created specifically for it,” explained Myerson. “We are committed to work tirelessly to meet their needs,” he added.