Microsoft officially announced the new branding of it’s upcoming Windows 8 Metro Style logo which will be used across the upcoming operating system. Microsoft also stated that the logo is a Window rather than the traditional flag found in earlier versions of Windows. “We wanted the new logo to be both modern and classic,” says Microsoft’s Sam Moreau.

Microsoft hired high-powered design consultancy Pentagram to come up with the new look. According to Moreau, the firm wanted to move away from the previous Windows logo that looked more like a flag than a window. “Windows’ really is a beautiful metaphor for computing, and with the new logo we wanted to celebrate the idea of a window, in perspective,” Moreau wrote.

Programs running in the Metro mode of Windows 8 take up the entire computer screen. There’s no chrome around the app, the frame that separates it from other apps and the desktop. Microsoft has also done away with the toolbar that runs on the bottom, or the side, of the desktop. And while users can switch to the traditional Windows desktop on Windows 8, the Metro version eliminates the interface showing multiple windows of running apps.

The logo uses flat colors and clean lines and shapes to convey the message of Metro and will change color based on the core theme color used in Windows 8. “When you change your color, the logo changes to reflect you,” explained Moreau. Microsoft will use the logo in the new charms bar for Windows 8, adopting the chosen theme accent color.

We are expecting to see the new logo in the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, due on February 29th. Stay tuned for more news and info on this topic by following us on Facebook, Twitter, and/or subscribing to our RSS feed.