Accelerating Arm momentum in Japan with App Assure

D'après les informations rapportées par Microsoft Windows Blog : accelerating Arm momentum in Japan with App Assure.

Worldwide, customers are adopting Arm-powered Copilot+ PCs for the many benefits they provide over traditional PCs. These devices deliver industry-leading performance, outpacing competitors in both every day and demanding workloads, while offering breakthrough battery life that keeps users productive and creative for hours longer than before. With advanced AI acceleration built into every Copilot+ PC, users experience a new level of responsiveness and capability, making complex tasks faster and smarter.

These benefits are fueling a cycle of innovation and adoption, where both users and developers see tangible advantages in embracing Copilot+ PCs. Microsoft’s ongoing investment in this innovation, highlighted in our recent Windows Developer blog, ensures that developers can bring optimized experiences to market faster and that customers adopting Arm-powered Copilot+ PCs can trust their essential apps to run reliably.

A key part of delivering this experience is App Assure, the engineering-backed team that helps fulfill the Microsoft promise that your apps will work seamlessly on new Windows platforms. As the Arm ecosystem expands, App Assure’s mission has become increasingly important: helping developers validate compatibility, addressing technical blockers and providing hands on engineering support.

While App Assure’s efforts span the globe, a region of particular focus is Japan, where collaboration with Microsoft’s regional teams, software development companies (SDCs) and academic partners in the Japan University Co-op helps identify and prioritize the applications most critical to local customers. The growing momentum in Japan is best illustrated through the real stories of SDCs who have partnered with App Assure to bring their trusted applications to Arm for the benefit of our shared customers. Spotlight: PFU building native drivers for ScanSnap
In May, PFU Limited (PFU), a global leader in document scanning solutions, approached Microsoft to accelerate their efforts in preparing one of their flagship products, ScanSnap, for Arm. During early testing, the teams identified an opportunity to further enhance the user experience in order to support a smooth and timely release. To ensure continued progress, PFU partnered with Microsoft, launching a sprint of focused collaboration. App Assure provided best-practice architectural guidance through an advisory workshop, and engineers from both teams worked closely together to move the release forward.

The results were highly impactful. Driver improvements were completed early, enabling seamless progress toward Arm compatibility. PFU committed to and successfully delivered an end-of-year release for ScanSnap, supported by early engagement and sustained project momentum. This engagement not only delivered Arm support, but also strengthened PFU’s alignment with Microsoft, created new opportunities for future business growth and demonstrated how collaboration can successfully address both technical and organizational challenges.

Here is what PFU had to say about our collaboration:
 

Through close collaboration with Microsoft’s App Assure team, PFU added Windows on Arm support to ScanSnap Home, ensuring consistent performance and reliability on Arm-based Windows PCs. This collaboration expanded PFU’s ability to offer ScanSnap iX2500 and iX2400 as a document digitization solution for paper-intensive industries, enabling organizations to support a broader range of document workflows without disrupting existing operations. We are looking forward to expanding to support Arm-based Windows across our product portfolio. — Hiroyasu Goto, Manager of ScanSnap Software Dev, PFU Ltd.

Spotlight: Saito-Kikaku, the Hidemaru Editor, and a legacy of reliability
App Assure also worked with Saito-Kikaku, an influential software vendor behind the Hidemaru Editor, a text editor that’s been a staple in Japan for over 30 years. Hidemaru Editor began as a 16-bit application for Windows 3.x and has maintained compatibility through every Windows generation. Today, it remains a trusted tool for users across Japan.

When App Assure approached Saito-Kikaku about bringing their editor to Arm, they saw the value in making their app available to users taking advantage of our Arm-powered Copilot+ PCs. They used Prism, the new emulator built into Windows 11, to automatically translate x86/x64 instructions into Arm64 instructions.

Testing results? According to Takashi Yamamoto, lead developer at Saito-Kikaku: “We were impressed by the high level of compatibility. After performing a full set of operation checks, there were absolutely no problems. It just worked.”
 

We were impressed by the high level of compatibility. After performing a full set of operation checks, there were absolutely no problems. It just worked. — Takashi Yamamoto, Lead Developer, Saito‑Kikaku

No code changes. No rebuilds. Prism emulation delivered flawless compatibility. The experience gave Saito-Kikaku confidence and reassured customers that their trusted editor would run smoothly on Copilot+ PCs.

Arm momentum is global—and App Assure is here to help
What’s happening in Japan mirrors trends around the world: As developers validate their apps for Arm, whether through native builds or Prism-powered emulation, they’re discovering that enablement is often smoother and faster than expected, and that it opens their apps up to a growing audience hungry for AI-powered experiences. Consumers, in turn, benefit from the industry-leading performance of Arm-powered Copilot+ PCs with the confidence that the apps they rely on will work flawlessly on their new devices.

App Assure will continue supporting this momentum. Whether you’re an SDC evaluating Arm support for the first time or a customer relying on mission critical applications, we’re here to help ensure your apps work seamlessly on Windows on Arm, today and into the future.

Windows on Arm is ready. Your apps can be too.

For assistance bringing your apps to Arm, reach out to our Windows Arm Advisory Service.