Just around two months before Microsoft Corp. releases its new Windows 8 operating system that promises to become a milestone for the company, the world's largest developer of software unveiled a new corporate logotype for the company. As a result, Microsoft dumps the world's most viewed logotype, the one it has been using for 25 years.

"This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning," said Jeff Hansen, general manager of brand strategy at Microsoft.

Microsoft plays a role in the lives of more than a billion people every day, those people see Microsoft logotype at least once a day. That is why the new Microsoft logo takes its inspiration from its product design principles while drawing upon the heritage of the brand values, fonts and colors.

The logo has two components: the logotype and the symbol. For the logotype, Microsoft uses the Segoe font which is the same font it uses in its products as well as marketing communications. The symbol’s squares of color are intended to express the company’s diverse portfolio of products.

Starting today, the new Microsoft logo will be used prominently. It will be used on Microsoft.com – the 10th most visited website in the world. It is in three of Microsoft retail stores today (Boston, Seattle’s University Village and Bellevue, Washington) and will shine in all of its stores over the next few months. It will be shown on Microsoft's ads globally. Naturally,  it will support Microsoft products across various forms of marketing. Fully implementing a change like this takes time, so there may be other instances where one will see the old logo being used for some time.

"We are excited about the new logo, but more importantly about this new era in which we are reimagining how our products can help people and businesses throughout the world realize their full potential," added Mr. Hansen.

Tags: Microsoft, Windows, Windows 8