REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 16, 1997 — Less than a year after Microsoft Corp. introduced the Microsoft® Windows® CE operating system-based Handheld PC (H/PC), over 100 leading independent software vendors (ISVs), independent hardware vendors (IHVs) and shareware vendors are demonstrating support for Windows CE by developing more than 250 applications and peripherals. Corporate customers can purchase off-the-shelf productivity products ranging from wireless e-mail solutions and contact management software to software for health-care and retail vertical markets and application development tools. A wide variety of games, communication applications and utilities offer many kinds of functionality to end users. Moving toward the next release of Windows CE for the H/PC, Microsoft’s focus on backward compatibility ensures that new users can benefit from the large number of applications already compatible with the operating system, in addition to new applications.
“Windows CE has quickly become an industry standard for handheld devices,” said Harel Kodesh, general manager of the consumer appliance group at Microsoft. “With over 250 applications and peripherals to choose from, users of Windows CE-based handheld PCs have a large choice of products to choose from. Building that level of application and peripheral support for a brand new platform in such a short time is incredible, and it shows how third-party vendors are quickly taking advantage of the business opportunity offered by Windows CE.”
Broad Industry Support
Support for Windows CE comes from leading ISVs and IHVs including Communication Intelligence Corp., CompuServe Inc.’s SPRYNET, JetForm Corp., Maximizer Technologies Inc., Microcom Systems Inc., SPYRUS, Symantec Corp. and U.S. Robotics Corp. In addition, many ISVs and IHVs new to Windows are riding the wave to Windows CE, including AllPen Software Inc., DTS Wireless, LandWare Inc., PHYSIX Inc., Puma Technology Inc. and River Run Software Group. Developers worldwide are also involved in the Windows CE phenomenon, with Aicon Inc. (Japan), ArtSoft Ltd. (Russia), DDM Europe, Dundas Software Ltd. (Canada), Jimmy.com (Thailand), KR
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EGER Softwareentwicklung (Germany), Pica Information & Management GmbH (Germany), Ruksun Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (India) and Surerange Analysis Ltd. (United Kingdom) leading the way.
New Opportunity for Developers
H/PCs’ ease of use – combined with the Windows CE Win32® API programming model and the Visual C++® development system environment – enables developers for Windows to easily build H/PC-based applications targeting a large potential market.
Vendors such as LandWare, a 31/2-year-old ISV, are already capitalizing on the opportunity created by the Windows CE platform. “In the eight months after we launched our first product for the Windows CE-based H/PC, LandWare experienced a 33 percent gain in revenue,” said Ken Landau, CEO of LandWare.
More information about LandWare’s business success on Windows CE can be found on the Windows CE developer Web site: http://msdn.microsoft.com/cetools/ .
H/PCs and Developing for Windows CE
H/PCs running Windows CE are the best mobile companion devices for Microsoft Windows operating system-based PCs. H/PC OEMs are Casio Computer Co., Compaq Computer Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., Hitachi Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., NEC Corp. and Philips Electronics. Windows CE is Microsoft’s operating system platform designed for a broad range of communications, embedded, entertainment and mobile computing consumer devices. For more information about H/PCs, Windows CE and available logoed third-party applications, visit http://www.microsoft.com/windowsce/ .
Developers interested in creating Windows CE-based applications can obtain the Microsoft Visual C++ for Windows CE development system. For more information on Visual C++ for Windows CE, visit http://msdn.microsoft.com/cetools/default.asp .
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