The president of Microsoft Spain, María Garaña, presented the company's new operating system, Windows 7, at SIMO, the International ITC Services & Solutions Trade Fair, in Madrid today.

Windows 7 opens in under 20 seconds, saves energy and can be used without a mouse on touchscreen computers.  A version for businesses has been available since September 1st and the home version will be launched in about a month's time.

Microsoft hopes to sell 200 million licences for the system between now and the end of 2010, 50 million of those in Europe.  It already has partners in Banesto, Intel and Telefónica and the five largest companies in the IT sector.

According to Garaña, Windows 7 will correct the problems encountered with Windows Vista, which was only compatible with 12,000 devices.  The new version is compatible with 80,000 devices and has been developed in close cooperation with Microsoft's partners.

Garaña underlined some of the main features of the new system and its ease of use: it opens in less than 20 seconds, you can keep up to 50 windows open at any one time, text and photos can be cut and pasted with two windows showing on screen at the same time, it has a greater search capacity, etc.

Luis Martín, head of Microsoft's Windows division, explained how Windows 7 incorporates some of Microsoft's touchscreen technology (Surface) making it compatible with touchscreen computers, using your fingertips to navigate through maps with the same ease as with Surface.

The new system also uses a lot less energy, thereby saving battery power and giving PCs a longer life.  It can also be installed on the smallest of laptops, that have previously run the XP operating system, meaning that laptops with touchscreen tecnology will be on the market for under 500 euros.

In Spain, Microsoft works with 12,000 companies, with 240,000 employees, representing 60% of the country's software use.  Every Windows 7 sale will mean 20.5 euros for Microsoft's shareholders.