New Windows CE for Automotive Alliances

In an attempt to jump-start the market for computers in cars Microsoft has signed five alliances with German and Japanese automotive electronic component suppliers in the last two months. The companies will develop products based on Windows CE for Automotive 2.0, which Microsoft released this summer.

Windows CE for Automotive is Microsoft’s platform for building in-car computing solutions based on Windows CE, including telematic systems (real-time data services like OnStar) and Personal Vehicle Assistants (PVA, a Personal Digital Assistant [PDA] for the car). Advances in Windows CE for Automotive 2.0, which incorporates new features in Windows CE 3.0, as well as the new alliances, are expected to broaden the appeal of the platform.

Although the Auto PC market has been slow to take off, Microsoft continues to pursue Windows CE for Automotive for two reasons. First, because of the huge number of cars and the great amount of time that people spend in them, the market for telematic systems and PVAs is large. Second, Microsoft wants to ensure that people gain the benefits of the .NET initiative and have “anytime, anywhere” access to their data, such as the ability to retrieve e-mail, calendar, and contact data even when they are in their cars. Telematic and PVA services such as information access, emergency response, and roadside assistance will require both a platform in the car as well as backend service centers to support communications and the movement of information, all of which create demand for Microsoft software.