LAS VEGAS, Feb. 6, 2001 — Steve Ballmer, president and CEO of Microsoft Corp., today kicked off the Microsoft® Windows® Embedded Developers Conference (DevCon) with a keynote address describing the progress the company has made in the last six months and what embedded developers can expect next. Ballmer told the approximately 1,000 embedded developers attending the show about the strides the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group has made since its inception last April, and outlined the company’s expanding commitment to the embedded industry and the key role smart devices will play in enabling the greater Microsoft .NET vision.
In the three months since the launch of the Windows Embedded Partner Program, its base has grown over 125 percent and now comprises more than 450 embedded partners in 37 countries. The Windows CE and Windows NT Embedded operating systems are also experiencing strong customer demand, with over 780 design starts during the first half of fiscal year 2001. In his keynote, Ballmer also demonstrated several of the many innovative design wins that Microsoft garnered over the last year: the Scanz Scannor, a Windows CE-based device, which the XFL is planning to incorporate into its games before the end of the season; a Bally Gaming and Systems gaming machine based on the Windows NT Embedded operating system; and a device by Symbol Technologies which the Vail Ski Resort uses to scan lift tickets.
“The embedded industry is a strong and exciting growth opportunity for Microsoft and for our embedded development partners,”
Ballmer said.
“Smart devices represent a key opportunity to provide customers with a wide range of flexible solutions with rich applications and Internet services.”
.NET is Microsoft’s Web services platform for enabling applications, services and smart devices to work together to enable access to and action on information any time, any place and on any device. This vision involves devices that are smart about the user, smart about the network, smart about other devices and smart about information and services.
With the next generation of its embedded platforms, code-named
“Talisker”
and
“Whistler Embedded,”
Microsoft will begin to deliver the initial building blocks for the creation of smart devices based on .NET. Microsoft is already seeing strong momentum for these next-generation platforms, with the top silicon vendors announcing support for
“Talisker”
at the conference, and over 200 participants in the
“Whistler”
beta 1 program.
About the Microsoft Windows Embedded Family
The Microsoft Windows Embedded operating systems and tools provide comprehensive software platforms for building the next generation of intelligent, 32-bit connected Windows Powered devices that demand rich applications and Internet services for a wide range of flexible solutions. In addition, Microsoft offers a wide range of programs and services designed to meet the specific needs of Windows Embedded customers, industry partners and developers. Windows Embedded includes Windows CE 3.0 and Windows NT Embedded 4.0.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. The company offers a wide range of products and services designed to empower people through great software — any time, any place and on any device.
Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
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