Microsoft this morning unveiled a new logo, the first major revamp in 25 years, but the design won’t be a shock to anyone who has been tracking the company’s products. Here it is …What do you think? The font is the same one that the company has been using in its products (it’s Segoe, for all the typography nerds in the house), and the symbol to the left is reminiscent of the tiles used in Windows Phone, Xbox Live and Windows 8.

Here’s the explanation from Jeff Hansen, Microsoft GM of brand strategy, in a post this morning.

“It’s been 25 years since we’ve updated the Microsoft logo and now is the perfect time for a change. This is an incredibly exciting year for Microsoft as we prepare to release new versions of nearly all of our products. From Windows 8 to Windows Phone 8 to Xbox services to the next version of Office, you will see a common look and feel across these products providing a familiar and seamless experience on PCs, phones, tablets and TVs. This wave of new releases is not only a reimagining of our most popular products, but also represents a new era for Microsoft, so our logo should evolve to visually accentuate this new beginning.”

For some historical context, here’s a look at the evolution of Microsoft’s logo …

 

Bonus points if you know what they called the stylized “O” in the second version above.

Updated at 10:20 a.m. with the second logo, which Microsoft confirms was introduced in 1980. Hat tip to the Seattle Times for catching this, and thanks to Jefferson in the comments for pointing it out.

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