What Microsoft Offers for DS

Druckversion

Samantha Slater spoke to Chris Segura, Microsoft Windows Embedded
 
DSE: Tell us about how Windows Embedded is currently involved in the DS market?
 
CHRIS SEGURA: When we talk about Windows Embedded, we’re talking about two different offerings. First is the Windows Embedded Compact 7, which is the operating system that powers devices such as hand-held terminals and the second is the Windows Embedded Standard, which is the standard Windows that you get in your Desktop or Laptop computer, but componentised for an embedded market. This is the one that we deploy for digital signage projects.
 
With Windows Embedded Standard 7, we talk about three different pillars:
 
1. High confidence: because it’s built on Windows 7, the WES 7 is a really well tested, well developed, market-proven hardened interface, which allows OEMs to pick an operating system that they don’t have to put a lot of thought into. This means they can bring the device to market quickly as the OS is stable and well proven.
 
2. Possibilities: digital signage can be something as simple as a restaurant menu which displays prices, pictures and text, but they’re quickly becoming very interactive. I think that the standard sign is getting more intelligent as deployers see that they can achieve greater ROI on the signs by tailoring and customising the content to reach different target audiences. So we have a whole suite of products to help people build that kind of immersive environment, supporting things like gesture control, location sensors and audience sensors. WES 7 comes with over 1000 different drivers so plug and play of different peripherals is easily supported.
 
3. Managing the network: today many networks are relatively small in nature but you can imagine that when signs get deployed widely, say by Tesco or Metro, who might deploy hundreds of thousands of signs in different locations, this becomes a huge challenge for their IT departments to manage. We have a solution called System Centre which helps IT departments manage each individual unit, helping them to push updates to it. Microsoft has huge experience in enterprise networks and digital signage is really just an extension of an enterprise network.

 
DSE: With many companies now looking at providing total solutions, is this something Microsoft is considering?
 
CS: Yes, we are involved in those types of activities already. For instance, Intel has the Digital Signage Evaluation Kit, which is a straight out of the box DS kit. Intel has completed the hardware offering for all of the kits and included an optimised version of WES 7. An OEM can go and buy a kit from a distributor, turn it on and start running applications on that platform. It’s something that we’re involved in today and certainly something you’ll see more of in the future.
 
DSE: Do you think the likes of Tesco really consider what embedded software it has in its network?
 
CS: I think they worry about the manageability of the network when deploying something possibly in the tens of thousands. Then it becomes really easy to consider a Windows Embedded solution to attach it to because it is well managed, proven and well connected. I don’t know if it’s the first thing on their mind, but it’s at least the second thought when they realise the scale of what they are considering and the needs that go beyond just getting the content to play.