When Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer recently criticized Google at the D8 conference for having two different mobile operating systems, it’s surprising so few challenged the pot for calling the kettle black. Microsoft doesn’t have just one or even two mobile operating system (OS) offerings. As of today, it has a half dozen, by my count.
Microsoft announced the newest addition to its mobile OS list on June 17. The newest family member, known as Windows Embedded Handheld, is powering the new Motorola’ES400 enterprise digital assistant (EDA), launched today in New York.
Windows Embedded Handheld, like most of Microsoft’s mobile OSes (other than Windows 7), is built on top of the Windows Embedded Compact (formerly known as Windows Embedded CE) core. The first version of Windows Embedded Handheld, which is going to be shipping before the end of this year, is tailored for what are known as “enterprise handheld mobile devices” — i.e., ruggedized computers that are for custom line-of-business applications, like bar-code scanning, RFID reading, etc. A second version of the Windows Embedded Handheld platform — built on top of the Windows Embedded Compact 7 core — is due out in the second half of 2011.
Gallery: Running on Windows Embedded
With today’s announcement, Microsoft now has at least six different OS offerings for mobile phones and devices. It has two different phone operating systems — Windows Mobile 6.x (the last of the line in the Windows Mobile OS family) and Windows Phone OS 7.0. (It has three if you count the Kin phone OS, which is a modified version of Windows Phone OS 7.0.) It has the just-launched Windows Embedded Handheld OS. It has an OS for TVs, set-top boxes, kiosks and other embedded tasks, known as Windows Embedded Standard 7. It has Windows 7, which it is positioning as its OS for tablets and netbooks. And, as company officials said last month at Computex, it has Windows Embedded Compact 7 (which isn’t going to be released to manufacturing until Q4 2010) for PC makers who want to create slates and other consumer mobile devices that run on non-Intel processors and use less battery power.
Here’s my best attempt to explain what’s part of Microsoft’s mobile OS six pack:
What’s with the multiplying Microsoft mobile OS SKUs? Wouldn’t just one or two choices result in less PC maker and customer confusion? On the mobile front, it seems the thinking in Redmond is that more specialization and more choices will give mobile device makers more options.
The place where Microsoft is consolidating its story is on the Windows Embedded Compact front. Windows Embedded Compact/Windows Embedded CE is the lowest level platform upon which Microsoft builds its phone and mobile device operating systems. Currently, the majority of the six different mobile OS offerings run a variety of different versions of Embedded Compact/Embedded CE. Microsoft is working to get more of its mobile OS platforms to run on top of the Windows Embedded Compact 7 core.
On the development tools front, Microsoft also is working to consolidate its offerings. In the second half of next year, when the Windows Embedded Handheld 7 platform ships, it will support the same set of development tools that Windows Phone 7 will be supporting: Visual Studio 2010, Silverlight and the XNA platform, according to Microsoft officials.
Why a dedicated ruggedized mobile OS?
Today’s launch of Windows Embedded Handheld marks the debut of a new brand and new nomenclature for Microsoft in a market where it already plays. Microsoft already has a handful of OEMs, including Motorola, Honeywell and Intermec, who sell ruggedized mobile PCs and devices that run Windows CE and/or Windows Mobile.
