Open source software group Linaro added Microsoft to a list of tech giants working to advance the use of Windows software on chipsets using Arm reference architectures.

Microsoft joins a Linaro project called Windows on Arm, which the chip design company and Qualcomm have been involved with for a year.

Geraint North, senior director of ecosystems and engineering partnerships for Arm’s client line business unit, called the inclusion of Microsoft “a significant step forward for the Windows on Arm ecosystem” and forecast broader adoption of platforms using the technology.

The companies stated a preview of Windows on Arm was made available in September 2021 by Qt, a maker of tools used to create graphical user interfaces and apps for multiple operating systems.

Their next goal is to update the Qt software to provide full support for Windows 11 on Arm.

Rami Husseini, Qualcomm director of product management, claimed the company’s Snapdragon 5G chipsets will enable “multi-day battery life” for Windows on Arm devices.