Microsoft Corp. said Wednesday it will extend its free support period for the Windows XP Home Edition computer operating system until sometime after 2010 from late January 2009, mainly at the demand of Japanese consumers.
"It is going to be significantly extended," Darren Huston, president of its Japan unit, said in an interview. He said an official announcement will be made Thursday.
Huston would not say how long the period of support, which includes providing updated security functions to users, would be extended, but said, "When I say significantly, it's more than one year."