Chinese Gov't Bans Use of Microsoft Windows 8 (MSFT)

As Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is looking to expand its Windows 8 presence, the company is hitting a bit of a speed bump in one of its key markets.

Reuters noted today that the government of China has banned the use of Windows 8. The Central Government Procurement Center made the announcement with an energy-saving product notice issued last week.

China has made the move as a security precaution after Microsoft ended support of Windows XP, an operating system that is widely used in China.

It wasn't made clear how the ban on Windows 8 was an energy-saving move or better for security.

Notably, China hasn't been the most lucrative market for Microsoft amid PC sales matching those of the U.S. In 2011, then-CEO Steve Ballmer said the company made the same amount in China as it did in the Netherlands due to widespread software piracy.

Shares of Microsoft are lower in early trading.

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