Microsoft Formalizes Embedded Support

Microsoft has unified support programs for its embedded operating systems—Windows XP Embedded (XPe) and CE .NET—and has revealed its timeline for support of current versions. The company has also centralized hardware information about CE .NET for device designers, making it easier to find previously obscure details, such as how to create device drivers, on a publicly available Web site. These moves should make it easier for Windows Embedded customers to create applications and devices, an important element in the company’s .NET initiative.

Support for Embedded Partners

The Microsoft Services for Embedded Partners program, introduced in Mar. 2002, serves corporations and systems integrators who use the embedded versions of Windows to develop custom devices, such as handheld data entry terminals; hardware manufacturers who package Windows on a variety of consumer and business devices, such as TV set-top boxes, industrial automation devices, and handheld computers; and third-party ISVs who develop applications for these devices.