Windows Server now runs on ARM processors

Microsoft in collaboration with Qualcomm builds a version of Windows Server that runs on ARM chips for cloud computing.

Microsoft Edge on ARM (source: Microsoft)
Microsoft Edge on ARM (source: Microsoft)

Microsoft isn’t only building a desktop version of Windows 10 that runs on ARM processors, but Qualcomm has announced that the partnership with Microsoft will continue to bring ARM support to Windows Server.

According to the press release, the chip maker is bringing the “next generation cloud services on its 10 nanometer Qualcomm Centriq 2400 platform” on a collaboration that the company hopes will span multiple future generation of hardware, software, and systems.

While Qualcomm has been working with Microsoft for a number of years to bring an optimized version of Windows Server, neither corporations have revealed intentions of this new variant of the operating system to be sold to customers.

The Centriq 2400 is a ARMv8 custom chip featuring 48 cores that combined with the Centriq 2400 Open Motherboard delivers “the most advanced interfaces for memory, network, and peripherals enabling the OCP community to access and design ARM-based servers for the most common cloud compute workloads.”

This motherboard is based on the Microsoft’s Project Olympus design, and while the server version of Windows can indeed run on ARM processors, it’s intended for cloud servers running Azure.

Source Qualcomm, via Neowin and ZDNet

About the author

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me.