As part of its Shanghai presentation today, Microsoft announced a new version of Windows 10 specifically created for the Chinese government. At launch, three government entities will use the new OS, which is called the Windows 10 China Government Edition.
The OS was created by CMIT, which is a “joint venture between Microsoft and CTEC (China Electronics Technology Group),” and it’s based on the Windows 10 Enterprise Edition. Out of the box, Microsoft said that the Windows 10 Enterprise Edition OS already has a massive suite of security, deployment, and management features out of the box, but the China Government Edition will let its users remove features that are not needed in government work. One example Microsoft gave is OneDrive. In addition, government officials can use the management feature to monitor and deploy updates as needed, or they can embed their own encrypted algorithms into the software.
A release date for the OS wasn’t announced, but the three government groups within China to try it out first are China Customs, the City of Shanghai, and Westone Information Technology on the national, regional, and state-owned enterprise levels, respectively. In addition, Lenovo will be the first OEM partner to have devices that come pre-installed with the Windows 10 Enterprise Edition.