| Microsoft renames embedded operating systems |
Apr. 15, 2008
 At today's Embedded Systems Conference (ESC), Microsoft announced plans to rename Windows XP Embedded, Windows CE, and Windows Embedded for Point of Service (WEPOS). It also announced free board support package certification, and low-cost hardware/software bundles -- 1,000 of them being given away at the show.
Ilya Bukshteyn, Microsoft's director of Windows Embedded marketing, conceded in an interview with WindowsForDevices.com last week, "Our product naming can at times be confusing. It's sometimes too difficult for embedded developers to understand how the products relate to each other."
 At a keynote address scheduled for 3:45 tomorrow, Kevin Dallas (right), general manager of the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft, will tell his San Jose audience how the company plans to fix this. "With today's strategic road map announcement, 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," he says.
New product names
According to Dallas and Bukshteyn, product names will be simplified and given year-based versioning. The process will begin with the next version of Windows XP Embedded, set to be introduced in June at Microsoft's TechEd and broadly available this fall.
Windows XP Embedded will now be dubbed "Windows Embedded Standard." Hence, this year's new release will be known as Windows Embedded Standard 2008. It will still be Windows XP-based, but will also include "the most-requested Vista technologies," such as a new version of Internet Explorer, a revised RDP (remote desktop protocol), a new media player, and updated .NET Framework technology.
Approximately two years later, the officials said, Windows Embedded Standard 2010 will be released. This product will complete the process of moving Microsoft's x86-specific embedded operating system over to the Vista codebase entirely.
Meanwhile, Windows Embedded CE, which runs not only on x86 but also on ARM, MIPS, and SuperH processors, will be renamed "Windows Embedded Compact." Formerly known as Windows CE 7.0, the next new version will be called Windows Embedded Compact 2009 or Windows Embedded Compact 2010, depending on when it is released, Bukshteyn said.
WEPOS gets a new moniker too, Windows Embedded POSReady. Like Windows Embedded Standard 2008, it will ship with selected Windows Vista-based technologies by the end of this year.
New product lines
Microsoft plans to offer additional products under the "Windows Embedded Ready" brand. These preconfigured toolkits will "provide 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," the company said. Although the company provided no further details, a toolkit targeting personal navigation devices (PNDs) has been rumored.
Further announced today was a "Windows Embedded Enterprise" product line. This will initially consist of the present-day desktop editions of Windows XP Professional, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Ultimate.
According to Bukshteyn, Microsoft is already marketing these products to embedded developers with suitable amendments to their licensing agreements -- and, no doubt, pricing. But, he adds, by 2009 or 2010 the Windows Embedded Enterprise offerings will contain not only all the Windows desktop code, but also added embedded technology such as file write filters.
Despite all the above, it's too early to write the epitaph for "Windows XP Embedded" and "Windows CE." These 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," according to the company.
Freebies for developers
Naming aside, Microsoft also continued its show of support for developers by announcing that Windows Embedded CE BSP (board support package) certification will now be free for up to two test passes. Should a device require a third test, that will cost $500. This compares with the $1,500-per-test fee levied previously.
In addition, the company announced a certification program, which it said "will provide a common reference point on the skills and technical expertise that Microsoft recommends for all Windows Embedded CE 6.0 developers." Certification is via an exam, which costs $125 and will be administered from May 5 onwards.
Finally, Microsoft provided new details about its "Spark Your Imagination" initiative (code-named simply "Spark" when it was first announced last year). The company will bundle its tools and Windows Embedded CE 6.0 with third-party hardware reference designs for non-commercial users -- such as hobbyists and academics -- priced at little more than the cost of the hardware alone.
Although Microsoft did not provide specific details of the bundles, it said "the program offerings have an estimated retail value of $1,300, and will be available immediately worldwide at prices ranging from $250 to $350." Hardware partners named by the company are Advantech, Icop, Keith and Koep GmBH, Special Computing, and Via.
In his pre-show interview with WindowsForDevices.com, Bukshteyn said Microsoft would be giving away approximately 1,000 hardware/software bundles to ESC attendees. Although he did not provide further information, this may refer to Via's Artigo, a pico-ITX PC that runs both Windows CE and Windows XP Embedded. The show's organizers, Techinsights, previously announced that every "all-access" attendee would receive one of the 1.14-pound systems. For more information, see our earlier coverage, here.
Further information
More information about Microsoft's Spark Your Imagination initiative will be available on the company's website, here. A preparation guide for Microsoft's Windows Embedded CE 6.0 exam will be available on the MSDN Embedded Developer Center, here. Information on local testing centers can be found on the Prometric website, here.
For more information about Microsoft's participation in ESC West, see our earlier coverage, here.
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