Microsoft last week unveiled a new version of its Windows platform for building applications for the automotive industry.
At the Microsoft Windows Automotive Conference 2005 in Yokohama, Japan, the vendor released Windows Automotive 5.0, which is based on Microsoft’s embedded Windows CE 5.0 operating system. The software is specifically aimed at custom development of in-vehicle applications such as navigation, entertainment and communication systems, Microsoft says.
New features include the Automotive User Interface Toolkit and expanded virtual memory support to enable the development of 3-D graphics and sophisticated navigation displays, Microsoft says. Windows Automotive 5.0 also includes performance improvements such as enhanced power management and faster boot times.
Additionally, the platform features a new set of development tools aimed at simplifying the creation of applications and improving their reliability, Microsoft says. The Automotive System Tools suite includes System Design Tool for visualizing memory allocation, usage and thread status, as well as System Building Block Tool for visually configuring software components. The tool set also includes test modules and other engineering guidelines for developers.
Microsoft has been bolstering its investment in delivering software specifically aimed at vertical markets, and has been encouraging its partners to target them.
Though some partners have balked at this idea because it may require them to change their business models, one partner who attended Microsoft’s recent Worldwide Partner Conference 2005 in Minneapolis says he agreed with the notion.
“It’s the right thing to do,” says David Hurley, managing director for U.K. consulting company Anglia Business Solutions. He says that companies could accelerate the development and deployment of applications by honing them to focus on the particular business requirements of vertical markets.
Montalbano is a correspondent with the IDG News Service.
