Windows 10 Build 14388 reveals Microsoft's enterprise subscription pricing plans

Windows 10 tweaked as big Anniversary Update approaches

Microsoft continues to fine tune the Windows 10 code for the Anniversary Update due in a few weeks, delivering new previews for PC and Mobile testers as the firm detailed new subscription options for enterprises.

Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14388 is now available for testers on the Fast Ring of Microsoft's Windows Insider evaluation programme.

The 2 August release date for the Windows 10 Anniversary Update is looming, and new builds now comprise largely bug fixes as Microsoft focuses on improvements to code quality.

Dona Sarkar, head of the Windows Insider programme, said that "we're getting down to the wire".

The latest build has 44 fixes, including some aimed at improving reliability, battery life and accessibility.

The PC build includes more updates to the Windows Store app, and a fix for a trusted platform module driver crash that may result in the system rebooting.

On the Mobile side, Microsoft has fixed a problem that sometimes resulted in an app being unable to launch after being suspended, and another where the keyboard sometimes failed to display for InPrivate mode on the Edge browser.

Meanwhile, Microsoft also detailed a new subscription model for enterprise customers looking to deploy Windows 10.

The new option was announced at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference in Toronto, and enables Microsoft partners in the Cloud Solution Provider programme to offer customers a subscription to Windows 10 Enterprise Edition as part of a managed service offering, priced from $7 per seat per month.

This is slated as ideal for businesses that do not have a dedicated IT team or only limited IT staff, and want to outsource more management of IT functions to a trusted service provider.

This offering covers Windows 10 Enterprise E3, the new name for Windows 10 Enterprise edition that Microsoft disclosed as part of the firm's Secure Productive Enterprise licence bundles last week.

Microsoft claimed that this will allow business customers to easily move from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise E3 without rebooting. In other words, customers can seamlessly switch licences without downtime.

However, organisations that do not want subscription licensing will still be able to get Windows 10 Enterprise E3 on a per-device basis, Microsoft said.