Microsoft revamps logo ahead of major launches

The move comes with Microsoft ramping up the buzz for its Windows 8 operating platform and its first tablet computer,called Surface.

Microsoft today unveiled a new corporate logo for the first time in 25 years as the US tech giant geared up for a series of big product launches.

The new logo features a square made up of four separate coloured squares. The old logo had a similar look but the squares appeared deformed as if part of a flag waving in the wind.

The move comes with Microsoft ramping up the buzz for its Windows 8 operating platform and its first tablet computer,called Surface. The company is also making an aggressive effort to gain ground in the smartphone market.

8220;It8217;s been 25 years since we8217;ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change,8221; said Microsoft brand strategy manager Jeff Hansen.

8220;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.

8220;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.8221;

The logo also includes the name Microsoft in the Segoe font that is used in products and marketing communications,along with the new squares.

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8220;The symbol is important in a world of digital motion,8221; Hansen said. 8220;The symbol8217;s squares of colour are intended to express the company8217;s diverse portfolio of products.8221; The new logo is being used starting today on the Microsoft.com website and in three Microsoft retail stores today.

8220;It will sign off all of our television ads globally,8221; Hansen said. 8220;And it will support our products across various forms of marketing8230;. We8217;re excited about the new logo,but more importantly about this new era in which we8217;re re-imagining how our products can help people and businesses throughout the world realise their full potential.8221;

Microsoft is set to release its Windows 8 next-generation operating system tailored for a world shifting from personal computers to smartphones and tablets on October 26.

Finnish telecom giant Nokia and Microsoft are expected to unveil a smartphone equipped with the Windows Phone 8 operating system on September 5.