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Momentum
Builds for Windows CE in Manufacturing as Multiple Corporate Vendors
Demonstrate End-to-End Process-Control System
Industry Leaders Endorse Microsoft's Efforts at
Embedded Systems East Show CHICAGO - March 2, 1999 - Microsoft Corp.
today demonstrated continued momentum for the Microsoft®
Windows® CE operating system in process-control
applications with a real-world demonstration of more than 10
commercial Windows CE-based control products, in conjunction with more
than a dozen corporate associates, including The Boeing Company,
General Motors Corp. and Philip Morris Companies Inc. This system,
shown here at the Embedded Systems Conference, showcases the small
footprint, connectivity and open platform features of Windows CE -
requirements for the next generation of embedded systems on the
factory floor. "Historically, industrial automation and
enterprise application users have developed solutions based on
proprietary systems that were difficult to connect to the other parts
of corporate networks and information technology," said Jerry
Yen, manager for advanced controls, GM Powertrain, and chairman of
OMAC. "Microsoft's accomplishments in the manufacturing market
support the Open Modular Architecture Controller [OMAC] consortium's
goal of establishing standardized solutions for the manufacturing
community." Windows CE on the Factory Floor Windows CE, along with the Windows NT®
operating system, acts as common "plumbing" in disparate
manufacturing software applications, enabling them to integrate and
operate seamlessly. The result is a more efficient exchange of
information from the shop floor to enterprise resource planning (ERP)
processes, reducing the operational and technical costs for a
manufacturing enterprise. "Windows CE is a complementary platform that is
easily integrated with Windows NT-based control and automation
software," said Bill Thompson, senior analyst at ARC Advisory
Group. "Vertical integration among different enterprise
application levels is critical, and Windows CE is positioned nicely to
offer not only vertical integration but best-in-class control modules
and third-party applications." End-to-End Solution for the Enterprise Windows CE provides end users with a more affordable
solution and simplified interoperability, which allows two-way
communication between the collection points on the factory floor and
the manufacturing resource planning (MRP) and ERP servers that are
used to run the enterprise. "Now suppliers and users can fully
utilize the talent of their programmers for Windows across a spectrum
of applications that range from controls to server applications,"
said Cary Longest, associate principal engineer, Philip Morris.
"Because Windows CE is an open system that includes rich system
services, standard Win32® APIs, and access to a wealth of
off-the-shelf software applications, hardware and device drivers, end
users can do more with their solutions. Finally we have the openness
we've been looking for." To further increase productivity and shorten
time-to-market, the same award-winning Visual Studio®
development system-based tools are used for the programming efforts
for both Windows NT and Windows CE. Languages such as C, C++, the
Visual Basic® development system and the Java language are
all supported for Windows CE today, as well as powerful frameworks
such as Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFCs), Active Template Library (ATL)
and Microsoft Component Object Model (COM). Technologies Showcased in Demonstration Industry leaders and OMAC participants assisted in
identifying the key areas of control technologies required in
manufacturing operations. The integrated control demonstration
features the following technologies: Participant Summaries Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT")
is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The
company offers a wide range of products and services for business and
personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and
more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of
personal computing every day. Microsoft, Windows, Windows NT, Win32, Visual Studio
and Visual Basic are either registered trademarks or trademarks of
Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. |
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