A Microsoft job posting confirms that the company is moving to a yearly update schedule for Windows 8, similar to Apple and OSX.

Microsoft has been long rumoured to be considering moving to an annual update schedule. In November, ZDNet’s Mary Jo Foley reported that the next version of Windows will not be called Windows 9 but rather “Blue”. Ms. Foley’s sources said it would be a low-cost piecemeal update instead of a milestone update.

The now removed job posting explicitly references the rumored “Microsoft Blue,” stating:

“We’re looking for an excellent, experienced SDET to join the Core Experience team in Windows Sustained Engineering (WinSE). The Core Experience features are the centerpiece of the new Windows UI, representing most of what customers touch and see in the OS, including: the start screen; application lifecycle; windowing; and personalization. Windows Blue promises to build and improve upon these aspects of the OS, enhancing ease of use and the overall user experience on devices and PCs worldwide.”

On Twitter, @h0x0d found another job posting that points to plans by Microsoft to unify the update schedule to Windows 8 and Windows Phone. The post calls for a developer who be on a team building a “high quality excel app for Windows Phone Blue” that would create a “consistent experience with spreadsheets across Web, Slate and Phone end” and leverage the power of the cloud.

A release date for “Blue” has yet to be confirmed, and naturally Microsoft is refusing to comment publicly on the matter.