Microsoft Starts to Accept Bitcoin for Windows, Windows Phone & Xbox

Microsoft is definitely  going through a transformation phase. What, with the latest acquisitions, mobile market changes and Windows developments it looks like the guys over at Redmond have really started to get it together again. So, it comes as no surprise (ok, a little surprise) that the company has jumped on the bitcoin bandwagon.

The tech giant is now accepting bitcoins for purchasing digital content on the Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox platforms. The info was uncovered by the people over at Coindesk. It looks like Microsoft is going to be working with payments firm Bitpay to ensure these transactions happen.

That having been said, neither Microsoft nor Bitpay have announced the partnership or details formally, although Microsoft does have a set of instructions, which are related to bitcoin payments within its ‘billing help’ pages.

This all seems great on the surface, but direct payments with the cryptocurrency are not currently supported at this time. You can, however,  use bitcoin to load money into a Microsoft wallet or to create digital gift cards. It is noteworthy to mention that bitcoin payments appear to be limited to customers in the U.S.

Under the leadership of CEO Satya Nadella, who started to manage the company back in February, Microsoft is heading its business towards a fresh focus on services across a range of their different platforms.

Microsoft is considered to be slow at moving forwards, but accepting Bitcoin is a sign that Microsoft may be modernising itself more than previously thought.

[Image via ibtimes]

SOURCE: http://techcrunch.com/2014/12/10/redmond-hath-frozen-over/