The problem of installing desktop or virtualized software across the company has been “apptimized;” now it’s as easy as application-packaging-as -a-service.

Today businesses buy software they can’t use,” says Vincent Weberink, CEO of Apptimzed.

And he’s right.

It’s not that companies are buying faulty applications or useless software packages. No, instead they are usually buying excellent software—software that’s usually vital for employees to perform their daily jobs.

Yet once bought, that software still can’t be used straight away. It needs to go through an expert process called “application packaging” to configure and prepare it for deployment in the company’s IT infrastructure. A process that can be days or weeks or months, depending upon the company’s process and capabilities.

And if this is crazy, it’s made even more absurd by the fact we have become inured, accustomed to this “lag” between purchase and use. Imagine buying an auto and having to wait days or weeks to on-board anyone wishing to drive…who would put up with such a major inconvenience?

Microsoft brings its counting skills into question as it announces the next version of the Windows operating system-- Windows 10 (not 9!), a version the company describes as nothing less than "the first step of a whole new generation of Windows."

Earlier rumours suggested the new Windows version was to be named "Threshold". Other supposed monickers include "TH", "X" and, as teased at one point by Microsoft operating systems chief Terry Myerson, "One".

Anyway, back to the actual OS. Windows 10 is designed run on just about every device under the sun, from the Internet of Things to enterprise servers, as well as PCs and tablets. As such, Microsoft insists the Windows 10 handle covers a product family (not a single OS), if one offering a single application platform for developers.

Microsoft announces several products are to reach the end of free mainstream support in 6 months, including all versions of Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Exchange Server 2010 and Dynamics C5 2010.

Free mainstream support for the above mentioned products ends on 13 January 2015, but the company promises to provide security patches until 2020.

Mainstream support for Windows 8.x ends on 9 January 2018, a hint that a next version of Windows might be coming sometime next year. Windows Phone 7.8 mainstream support ends even sooner-- on 9 September 2014.

The next major version of Windows (to be dubbed either 9 or "Threshold") will look and work differently depending on what hardware it is running on ZDNet reports.

Thus, in a bid to appease disgruntled Windows 8 users Threshold will reportedly run in Windows Desktop mode (via either SKU or version) on laptops or desktop PCs, tablets get a Metro-style UI and hybrid devices will be able to switch between Metro and Desktop modes depending on whether a keyboard is connected or not.

The desktop/laptop SKU should feature the customisable Mini-Start menu seen at BUILD 2014, and will be able to run Metro-style/Windows Store apps in windows on the desktop.