Microsoft targets $520bn intelligent device market with next version of Windows Embedded

Microsoft today said it will ship Windows 8 versions of its embedded operating systems between three and nine months after the desktop version of Windows 8 is released.

The Windows 8 desktop will ship late 2012, said Microsoft at its BUILD Windows 8 Developer Conference in Anaheim earlier this September, who hopes it will catch next year's Christmas market.

Microsoft EMEA Windows Embedded business lead Lorraine Bardeen said Microsoft will be targetting Windows Embedded at the burgeoning ‘intelligent device’ market, which analysts IDC said would be worth half a trillion dollars ($520bn) by 2015.

“We’ll be shipping the next version of Windows Embedded Enterprise three months after Windows 8 ships for desktop systems,” said Barden (below|).

“Windows Embedded Enterprise is primarily used in ATMs and kiosks, and will give full application compatibility with Windows 7 embedded applications, and the power of our premium [client] operating system for embedded devices,” added Bardeen.

Windows Embedded Enterprise is not componentised explained Bardeen, “unlike the Windows Embedded Standard OS, which provides a fully customisable and componentised form of the Windows operating system".

“The next version of Windows Embedded Standard will ship nine months after the desktop Windows 8 OS ships,” she said.

The reason for providing a componentised form of Windows Embedded is so that device developers can pick out specific Windows client components to optimise their device operating system image with regards to footprint, power consumption and/or application compatibility with current Windows apps.

“We’ll also be releasing a community technology preview of the next version of Windows Embedded Standard during Q1 2012, and like the desktop OS will support both x86 and ARM processor architectures,” said Bardeen.