Monday, 21 April 2008

Microsoft Charts Road Map for Windows Embedded Business

Microsoft gave everyone a sneak peak into the next phase of its Windows Embedded Business strategy last week at the Embedded Systems Conference Silicon Valley 2008 that took place in San Jose, California.

The strategic road map outlined the renaming of its family of products and plans for new solutions in key device categories.

According to the new laid out strategy, the latest key device category solutions will be offered under the Windows Embedded Ready name and will ship as preconfigured toolkits providing device-makers with in-demand market-specific features that allow them to build and ship next-generation smart, connected, service-oriented devices in an accelerated fashion.

“… our aim is to present the evolving Windows Embedded product family in an intuitive fashion, making it easier for our customers to choose the right platforms and tools for their needs,” said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft.

“Windows Embedded solutions for key device categories will energize our partner ecosystem by enabling new business scenarios and help lay the foundation for partners to successfully fulfill our vision of a new generation of smart, connected, service-oriented devices.”

The first product release under the new naming strategy will be Windows Embedded Standard, the next generation of Windows XP Embedded, and will be launched simultaneously at Tech•Ed North America and through a global webcast event on June 3.

According to the Redmond Washington based Microsoft, all presently available Windows Embedded products will be marketed under their current names until their next scheduled product release and will remain available for purchase in line with the standard Microsoft Support Lifecycle policy.

The Windows Embedded family of products includes the following:

• Windows Embedded Standard. The next generation of Windows XP Embedded.

• Windows Embedded Compact. The next generation of Windows Embedded CE.

• Windows Embedded Enterprise. A fully application-compatible embedded operating system that over time will gain a broader set of embedded enabling features. Today this product group is composed of Windows Vista and Windows XP for Embedded Systems and is licensed exclusively for embedded device development.

• Windows Embedded POSReady. The next generation of Windows Embedded for Point of Service.

Parallel to this announcement, Microsoft also highlighted the establishment of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Certification-- the first certification included in the Microsoft Certification Program for the Windows Embedded product family.

Considered to being a key element of the Windows Embedded business strategy, the certification will provide a common reference point on the skills and technical expertise that Microsoft recommends for all Windows Embedded CE 6.0 developers.

Customers developing projects on Windows Embedded CE will now be able to identify partners and distributors based on Windows Embedded technical knowledge. In addition, companies building devices on the Windows Embedded platform and wanting to hire Windows Embedded CE developers will now be able to better differentiate between candidates.

In support of the certification, Microsoft said it is offering a free exam preparation kit for Windows Embedded CE developers. The kit can be downloaded or viewed online and is localized in English, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, German and French.