REDMOND, Wash. — March 31, 2010 — Windows Embedded products are used in just about every embedded device scenario; but just as Microsoft’s key industry areas of focus include industrial automation and manufacturing, healthcare and retail, Windows Embedded maintains a concentrated effort in these markets to provide them with truly end-to-end solutions. As a result, over the past year Windows Embedded developers in these markets have produced exciting innovations in specialized devices built to meet industry demands. Here are just a few examples.
In manufacturing, ICONICS demonstrated GENESIS64 at the ISA Expo 2009 Automation and Control show. GENESIS64 was shown monitoring and controlling a balancing pendulum that was continually kept in a vertical position using a Windows Embedded controller. (Visitors to the Microsoft campus in Redmond, Wash., can see a similar demonstration in the lobby of the Windows Embedded team’s offices.) The ICONICS/Microsoft demo was built by Beckhoff and used three devices with different operating systems: the CX1020 controller running Windows Embedded CE for controlling the pendulum, a Beckhoff Ethernet panel running Windows Embedded Standard and an industrial appliance running Windows Embedded Server for data storage in an SQL database. In addition, ADS TEC, a partner in industrial automation and medical devices, recently showcased rugged handheld devices powered by Windows Embedded Standard 7 at the Embedded World conference.
ERGOcom 4 is an innovative communication system for dental practices created by Kontron and KaVo, and powered by Windows Embedded Standard.
The medical device field has seen new opportunities for the Windows Embedded product portfolio to help OEMs quickly bring specialized devices to market. Keith & Koep and Kontron are key partners in the medical field, helping to create and deliver specialized devices where they are needed the most. One example of Keith & Koep’s innovative work is its cycling diagnostic tool, which is used by doctors to monitor professionals during training and as a supporting tool for doctors working in remote areas. Kontron uses Windows Embedded Standard to create devices such as a medical chair developed in partnership with KaVo, designer and manufacturer of embedded custom solutions for OEMs. KaVo ERGOcom 4 is an innovative communications system for dental practices that delivers information to both doctor and patient.
The Intel® Intelligent Digital Sign Proof of Concept, based on Intel’s Core™ i7 and running Windows Embedded Standard 7, shows off the capabilities of a new platform optimized for digital signage.
In retail and hospitality, Windows Embedded is helping businesses streamline connectivity to IT infrastructure, increase staff efficiency and improve customer satisfaction through some of its key operating systems. One example is the January 2010 announcement at the National Retail Federation Convention (NRF) in New York of a strategic alliance with Intel Corporation to deliver an optimized platform for digital signage. This validated platform will provide customers and guests with rich, connected and immersive user experiences through the Windows Embedded Standard 7 operating system and 2010 Intel Core microarchitecture. At the convention, Intel demonstrated a new 7-foot 6-inch multiuser, multitouch Intel Intelligent Digital Signage Concept that emulated a virtual brick-and-mortar store setting where customers can use a multitouch holographic screen to explore merchandise, find out about promotions, submit feedback on products, read customer reviews, view past purchasing histories, and share what they have discovered with their friends via social media and mobile phone integration.
As Microsoft continues to announce next-generation platforms based on Windows 7 in the coming months, developers will see new areas where specialized devices powered by Windows Embedded will play a role in shaping how businesses operate in the future.
