"Development tools, reliability, and scalability are more crucial to developers than real-time capabilities"

Jane Gilson, Director, Mobile and Embedded Devices Division, Microsoft Corporation, recently gave EDN Asia some insight into embedded operating systems (EOSs), and their continued relevance in the near future. Excerpts.


What are the technology and market trends for EOSs?

Jane Gilson: The proliferation of digital media content and of new device categories—in the living room and portable—is a key embedded market trend for 2006. Technology market research and consulting firm Venture Development Corporation (VDC) estimates that the consumer electronics vertical market will continue to be the leading source of revenue for EOS vendors.


How does Microsoft look at its role in the EOSs market, globally as well as in the Asia Pacific region?

JD:We are very committed and are investing upfront in many device categories. We have invested resources in product development and marketing surveys in an effort to drive the demand for these devices. We work with our partners and customers to generate new growth opportunities to ultimately benefit our end customers with new devices or features that are easy to use.


<%@ LANGUAGE="VBSCRIPT" %>
<% Randomize: ord=int(rnd*1000000000) %>


Can you illustrate Microsoft’s perceptions of the embedded markets in India and China?

JD:China and India represent a huge opportunity for us in the embedded space. They not only provide plenty of developers/designers to help develop innovative devices and services but are also big markets for users of these devices. We are working closely with a number of partners in these two countries to develop new devices and applications.


What advantages or disadvantages does Microsoft believe it has over its competitors?

JD:We have many advantages over other players, such as a mature and complete technology portfolio, which includes a rich and scalable set of operating system technologies, tested hardware support, and familiar and consistent development tools. For example, Windows Embedded minimizes investment by allowing developers to evaluate and test the system at no cost using our 120-day evaluation kits.


Can you say something about embedded developers’ preferences?

JD:A recent VDC survey found that development tools, reliability, and scalability are more crucial to more developers than real-time capabilities. Security continues to grow in importance as well. Windows XP Embedded, a componentized version of Windows XP, delivers reliability, security, and performance features of its desktop counterpart.


What changes does Microsoft foresee in embedded technologies and markets in the coming years, and how well is the company geared for these changes?

JD:It is a very exciting time in the embedded industry. On one hand, we are seeing businesses using more embedded technology in their products and even the way they make products. Customers on the other hand are becoming more educated and savvy on how they want to interact with technology in their daily lives. So while we see the “digital home� becoming a reality, we also need to be mindful of the ease of use, as that remains a key factor for adoption of technology. We are also seeing the proliferation of digital media content and new device categories.

We strongly believe we are well positioned to leverage the opportunities in this market.