Windows Embedded 8 Industry Release Preview now part of the Windows Embedded 8 family

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Posted By Barb Edson
General Manager, Marketing and Business Development

It’s an exciting week in New York for our Windows Embedded team, who are on hand at the National Retail Federation Convention & EXPO to announce a brand-new product release preview. Windows Embedded senior product manager David Wurster has details.

In October 2012, we announced our road map for the Windows Embedded 8 family of products by sharing availability dates for Windows Embedded 8 Standard and Windows Embedded 8 Pro, and introducing you to Windows Embedded 8 Industry.

  • Windows Embedded 8 Standard is a modular version of Windows 8 with additional technologies to enable industry device scenarios. A Windows Embedded 8 Standard Release Preview is now available.
  • Windows Embedded 8 Pro is the full version of Windows 8 that we'll be bringing through the Embedded channel.
  • Windows Embedded 8 Industry is a fixed configuration solution featuring additional technologies to enable industry device scenarios. Windows Embedded 8 Industry is the new name for our Windows Embedded POSReady product. The reason for the change is that we see the capabilities of this operating system fitting into a much larger number of device categories than just point-of-service.

All Windows Embedded 8 products will be available in the first half of 2013 and will enable our OEM partners to create differentiated devises that will utilize the rich, immersive and multi-touch customer experience to delight users and help them extend the intelligence of their information technology systems.

Today, we are excited to announce that the Windows Embedded 8 Industry Release Preview is publically available. While you can learn more on our website, we compiled a quick list of the new capabilities you should know about:

  • It is a fixed platform that enables Microsoft partners to expand the ecosystem of application developers to deliver rich targeted device experiences for industries such as retail, manufacturing and healthcare;
  • It offers the ability to deliver immersive user experiences through Multi-Touch, Gesture Input, and Windows 8 applications;
  • Advanced Lockdown features allow device makers to provide a consistent and predictable user experience;
  • Plug and play capabilities allow manufacturers easier implementation of retail peripherals with desktop applications;
  • Connectivity to premises and cloud-based IT assets allows enterprises to access business-critical information at the point of impact;
  • Streamlined development experience allows users to easily build an operating system and spend more time doing what manufacturers do best: hardware and apps.

At Microsoft, we are very excited for Windows Embedded 8 to release and for our partners to deliver the next wave of industry devices on Windows 8 technologies. We encourage you to try the Windows Embedded 8 Industry Release Preview as well as the Windows Embedded 8 Standard Release Preview to see how these products can help you deliver the experiences your customers need.