Windows Embedded - History

History

Win3.x had an embedded version found typically on POS terminals. The NT series developed an embedded product called "XPembedded". Current Windows CE base is version 6.0 R3 which runs on ARM, X86, SH, and derivatives of those architectures. It is a real-time operating system. A .NET Framework, UI framework, and various open source drivers and services are also included.

In mid-1999, Microsoft has been working with a partner VentureCom, for their Windows NT Embedded product. Microsoft decided in early 2000 that was s best to take that architecture and make a new product leveraging the new Windows code. A new Windows Embedded team was formed, under the leadership of Bruce Beachman. Bruce Beachman served as the Product Unit Manager (PUM) of the first Windows Embedded, using the Windows XP code based, thus code named (XPE), and he started recruiting engineers within Microsoft, and formed the initial team with these earlier members:

• Group PM: Tim Hill, who was in charge of the PM team, and served as the overall architect;
• Program Manager Mike Cherry, who was leading the infrastructural process work;
• Program Manager Bill Luan, who was in charge of the design of the first internal tool iCat, which enabled all the Windows team engineers to "componentize" their features in Windows. Later this product became the Windows Embedded Component Designer in the released product;
• Program Manager Steve Jiang, who was in charge of the first version of the Target Design, which is the product that enabled developers to build embedded target images.

Target Designer and Component Designer was the two-parts suite in the first version of Windows Embedded Suite. The first test team manager was Bombo Sofa, who lead the first XPE Test team starting in 2000. Under Bruce Beachman's leadership, Microsoft shipped the first version of Windows Embedded (XPE) at the DevCon / Windows Hardware Conference in 2001.

In 2002, Bruce Beachman left Microsoft, and Peter Wilson took over the XPE team as its PUM, and by then the team was merged into Windows Deployment team, and they released XPE SP1 at DevCon in Las Vegas in late 2003.