Microsoft's Metro Will be Replaced with Unknown Name

Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) will be eliminating use of the term “metro' to describe interfaces that it uses for Windows Phones, Microsoft's website, the Xbox 360 dashboard and Windows 8. One core feature of the Metro language is graphics that are composed of large tiles that are consolidated into common task groups. Another popular feature for Metro is its laterally scrolling canvas and multiple screens.

The company has been using the term “metro” in different conferences, blogs, tutorials and guides. According to Microsoft, the name was only supposed to be used internally and was not related to the company's advertising efforts.

In a tutorial Microsoft stated, “Metro is the name of the new design language created for the Windows Phone 7 interface. When given the chance for a fresh start, the Windows Phone design team drew from many sources of inspiration to determine the guiding principles for the next generation phone interface.”

On Wednesday, The Verge published an article that stated Microsoft began telling its developers to stop using the term “metro” if they are referring to Windows 8 or the Windows Phone. As a replacement, the company told its employees to use the term “New User Interface,” and now updated the term to "Windows 8-Style UI."

The article also revealed that a Microsoft spokesperson stated, “As we get closer to launch and transition from industry dialog to a broad consumer dialog we will use our commercial names."

Microsoft could be dropping the name because of a copyright dispute with a European company that uses the metro name. According to a memo, the Windows team is working on a replacement name and that is supposed to be released by the weekend. Windows has not commented on whether it is a trademark dispute and the European company has not been named yet. There is a German Company named Metro AG, which is a diversified retail and wholesale corporation.

Microsoft traded up about 2 percent on Friday.