SEATTLE: Microsoft Corp. on Wednesday unveiled a version of its Windows XP
operating system that will extend the software giant's flagship product to cash
registers, ATMs and other such devices.
Windows XP Embedded, the successor to Windows NT 4.0 Embedded, is a version
of the operating system that has been "componentized", or broken into
thousands of pieces that hardware makers can mix and match to suit their needs,
said Keith White, senior director of Microsoft's embedded and appliance
platforms group.
"The reason this is significant is that devices are becoming much
smarter, they are becoming connected to the Internet or a company backbone, and
companies are demanding more capabilities out of them," White said in an
interview.
XP Embedded supports Microsoft's Internet and multi-media technologies like
its Explorer Web browser, Windows Media audio and video formats and DirectX
graphics tools, White said.
XP Embedded consists of some 10,000 components, versus to about 300 for NT
4.0 Embedded, meaning the product will be more versatile in meeting the needs of
device makers, White said.
Microsoft is pushing into the embedded space because many of the hundreds of
millions of devices ranging from gasoline pumps to casino gaming machines to
television set-top boxes are ripe for replacement as their aging proprietary
software proves unable to handle demanding new tasks, White said.
"What we're seeing is just huge growth in the variety of non-PC-like
devices. These devices are requiring a lot more smarts," White said.
"Now you're seeing a movement towards a commercial operating system because
these (hardware makers) don't want to be in the operating systems business
anymore."
A chief player in the embedded arena is Wind River Systems Inc., and the
open-source Linux operating system has been gaining a foothold in devices as
well. Windows XP Embedded is different from Windows CE, which is a slimmed-down
operating system meant to power mobile devices like cell phones and handheld
computers.
XP Embedded skips a generation of Microsoft operating systems because the
company did not develop an embedded version of Windows 2000, although a special
version of that system is found in Microsoft's Xbox video game console.
Microsoft is also working on embedded server software that will let customers
set up powerful network computers that excel at a single function like serving
Web pages or broadcasting audio and video on the Internet, White said.
That product, the Windows.NET Embedded Server, would likely be out in the
second half of next year, he said.
(C) Reuters Limited.