It’s the one thing I personally expected Microsoft to do by the time Windows 8 launched and today the company confirmed that early next year they will release a commercial program to help businesses adapt their Windows software for the device.  The story, which is being reported by blogger Paul Thurrott quotes Microsoft as saying…

“The commercial program will give businesses the tools to develop applications that not only could improve their own operations, but potentially revolutionize entire industries. To date, more than 200 businesses worldwide—including Toyota, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and Razorfish— have joined a Kinect for Windows pilot program to begin exploring the possibilities of Kinect. While no one knows what the future holds, if the past year is any indication, it’s going to be inspiring.”

I don’t find this move surprising in the least, partly because Kinect is an obvious way to navigate around Windows 8′s new Metro interface and show off to the other cool kids how much cooler you are, but because it is a natural progression of the Kinect technology.

In the last year every research scientist and student bar, well… some, have been reprogramming the Kinect to perform every task from rescuing earthquake victims to acting as security cameras.

This could see a new version of the Kinect sensor that can be clipped onto or hung over the top of a standard PC monitor in the way webcams to today.  It is also possible, if not already very likely, that we will in the next year or two see laptops and all-in-one PCs released with a Kinect sensor built into the monitor bezel.

All in all this is a great opportunity for Microsoft, a huge leap forward for Kinect and a way to announce to the world that Minority Report computer interfaces are finally on their way.