The choice is a surprise bearing in mind it represents a jump from the last version - Windows 8.
The software will run on a wide range of devices from smartphones and tablets to PCs and Xbox games consoles, with applications sold from a single store.
The firm said it would be compatible with existing IT management systems to aid adoption.
Windows 8 has been criticised for the way it attempted to provide user interfaces that suited both
touchscreen and mouse-and keyboard controls.
Businesses typically wait about a year after a new operating system's release before offering it to workers to give IT staff a chance to get to grips with the new technologies involved.
But it has been nearly two years since Windows 8 first went on sale and adoption is still low.
"It's extremely important for Microsoft to get Windows 10 right," said David Johnson, who covers Microsoft for the consultancy Forrester.
"Windows 8 is only being offered to employees by about one in five organisations right now. Windows 7
is still the de facto standard for enterprise in the desktop environment.
"For Microsoft to continue to be able to get the best and latest technology in the hands of the enterprise workforce all over the world, it has to have a vehicle to do that - and Windows 9 is its best shot."
Across desktop PCs as a whole, only 13.4% currently run Windows 8 or Windows 8.1, according to research firm NetMarketshare.
By contrast, it says 51.2% are powered by Windows 7 and 23.9% by Windows XP, a version that is no longer supported by Microsoft.
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