Microsoft announces general availability of Windows Embedded Compact 2013

REDMOND, Wash. — June 13, 2013 — Microsoft today announced the general availability of Windows Embedded Compact 2013. Optimized for building small-footprint industry devices, Windows Embedded Compact 2013 includes powerful new tools and capabilities — including new support for Visual Studio 2012 — that extend the experience of Windows and help businesses capitalize on the Internet of Things.


The release is the latest generation of one of the smallest and most flexible products in the Windows Embedded portfolio, designed to power devices that need real-time performance and silicon flexibility, with support for x86 and ARM architectures.

Powering intelligent systems
June 11, 2013
Windows Embedded’s new operating system, Windows Embedded Compact 2013, powers small-footprint industry devices such as this one, used to track inventory as part of an intelligent system.​

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Powering industry


Windows Embedded Compact 2013 is ideal for powering some of the smallest industry devices, such as programmable logic controllers and human-machine interface panels used to monitor processes in manufacturing, RFID scanners in retail environments, and portable ultrasound machines and diagnostic lab equipment in healthcare settings. When these devices are connected via the cloud to backend systems, the resulting intelligent system generates data that can be harnessed and analyzed to provide actionable insight for the enterprise. That data is considered the new currency of business.


“It’s now essential for businesses to tap into the vast potential of data if they want to compete,” says Kevin Dallas, general manager for Windows Embedded at Microsoft. “With Windows Embedded powering industry devices, that data is made readily available to drive real, actionable operational intelligence for industries. Windows Embedded Compact 2013 is a really powerful, flexible platform for extending that capability to some of the smallest industry devices.”


Optimized performance


Users will see some major improvements to device functionality with Windows Embedded Compact 2013. “Performance was a particular focus in this release,” says Steven Bridgeland, senior product manager, Windows Embedded at Microsoft. “We have spent countless hours optimizing our code to greatly improve system and network performance, making applications feel snappier.”


Windows Embedded Compact 2013 features include the following:


• Improvements to the core operating system, including memory management and networking capabilities


• Improved file-system performance, enabling devices to always be available


• Optimized startup, with snapshot boot, which allows devices to boot within seconds to a known state, such as a specific UI with device drivers loaded


• Built-in support for Wi-Fi, cellular and Bluetooth technologies, and a seamless connection to Windows Azure, for a robust, connected intelligent system


• Support from thousands of developers and partners, who have built add-on solutions, including HTML5 browsers


Development platform

The new release also offers improvements for developers who build devices on Windows Embedded Compact 2013. “With this release, we focused on making developers’ lives easier,” Bridgeland says. “Support for Visual Studio 2012 offers significant improvements for developers, including a simplified UI and sharper syntax colorization, and tools such as improved compilers, auto-generation of code snippets and XAML tools.”


Today’s announcement is a key component of Microsoft’s road map for intelligent systems, a vision first announced in fall 2011. Microsoft entered the embedded marketplace more than 15 years ago, and it continues to lead the evolution of intelligent systems with an extensive suite of technologies.


To read more about Microsoft’s vision for intelligent systems, visit the Windows Embedded website. OEMs and developers who would like more information can view the Windows Embedded Compact 2013 product page and download the full toolkit here.

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