Share via

The Future of Enterprise Handheld Devices

  • Article

Just back from TechEd North America, I am putting together my report and as part of it, I am listing all the different feedback I received from partners, customers, MVPs. One of the comment I heard the most was about the unknown future of the Enterprise business for handheld devices as Windows Phone seems to be moving towards a model that doesn’t meet the requirements of this specific industry (native code development, software access to the hardware, app platform supported on older versions of the OS…). Windows Phone 7 proposes a different approach, aimed at providing the final user an optimized user experience, with a sandboxed app platform. But OEMs such as Motorola, Intermec, Symbol building handheld terminals such as those you see daily in warehouse, when receiving a packet and signing for it, when passing an order in a restaurant,… cannot consider switching to Windows Phone 7 and so far were not clear on how Microsoft would continue to support them or not. Here is the answer directly from Steve Ballmer:

To learn more, visit the Windows Embedded News Center.

Let me know what you think and ask questions in here if you have any.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    June 17, 2010
    Windows Embedded Hand held is based WM6.5. I hope that will not have have Memory issues WM6.5 may have.Will the base OS be CE6.0 or CE5.0? ( which is for WM6.5). You are quickly changing from one Environment to another (VS2005, VS, then to VS2010). I believe MS should fix this. The best would be CE a customized OS and another one to be like WM ( with set of features suggested by MS), but both should have same Kernel. That would help OEMs to build the device sooner. and OS naming is too confusing,  and very tiring. every year you rename the OS???, its not good. PPC 02 -> WM 2003 -> WM 2005 -> WM 6.1 -> WM 6.5  - ???  >CE4.2 - > CE5.0 -> CE 6.0 -> WMC 7- ???

  • Anonymous
    June 22, 2010
    Can you share a little more on the timelines / feature set of this new OSes ?

  • Windows Embedded Handheld within 6  months based on WM 6.5
  • Windows Embedded Handheld v2 based on Windows 7 technology in 2nd half of 2011 What will be the telephony features supported in both ? Thanks

  • Anonymous
    June 25, 2010
    @Loic For now what I can share can be foudn on www.windowsembedded.com/handheld. I will get back to you on the blog with more technical in depth info asap. -Olivier

  • Anonymous
    July 26, 2010
    I am sure you heard about Windows Embedded Handheld , the new offer from the Windows Embedded group for