Huawei is poised to become a major desktop OS vendor with its HarmonyOS, thanks to the company losing its ability to license Microsoft Windows.

Huawei was once one of the dominant smartphones makers globally before becoming a post child for US efforts to block Chinese companies from accessing advanced technology. The US and its allies implemented sanctions against the company, cutting it off from chips from TSMC, Google software and services, and Microsoft’s desktop OS.

While the sanctions initially hurt Huawei substantially, even forcing it to sell its Honor brand of smartphones, the company has displayed remarkable resiliency. At the heart of those efforts are the company’s efforts to develop its HarmonyOS, which initially debuted on mobile devices.

According to TechRadar, Huawei is rolling out its HarmonyOS across its entire lineup of devices, including PCs, tablets, and TVs. The move is poised to give Huawei two major advantages.

1) HarmonyOS could quickly gain more than one billion users, giving Huawei economy of scale and the ability to attract developers to its platform.

2) Huawei could quickly achieve a goal that has eluded Microsoft for years, namely total convergence of its operating system and platforms. Microsoft tried for years to make a go of its mobile version of Windows before ultimately giving up and adopting Android for its smartphones. If HarmonyOS is successful on the desktop, it will give the company a significant advantage, especially when it comes to attracting third-party developers.

Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said in mid-2021 that he wanted the company to pivot to software in response to US sanctions. He said he wanted the company to “dare to lead the world” in software, saying software was “outside of U.S. control and we will have greater independence and autonomy.”

Huawei has clearly followed Zhengfei’s advice and it appears to be paying off in spades.