Internet of Things Microsoft Has 350 Million Devices

By Stephen Pate – Microsoft was in China this week and Executive Vice President of Operation Systems Terry Myerson spoke about Microsoft’s commitment to the Internet of Things – connecting our lives to the internet.

Microsoft has been a developer of embedded devices for decades. Versions of Windows can be found in TV set-top boxes, routers, PVR’s and many consumer and commercial devices.

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The term “Internet of Things” was coined to describe embedded devices that talk to each other and the rest of the internet.  This market has heated up as people try to connect everything from their refrigerators to their home lighting. Google Android and Apple iOS are major competitors to Microsoft for the Internet of Things.

Microsoft hopes that the new more efficient Windows 10 core will give them a new opportunity to gain market share for their operating systems.

“One of the predominant goals of WinHEC is to showcase opportunities Windows 10 presents to hardware and device manufacturers. Windows Hello is one of the new innovations that I was excited to show onstage for the first time.

Windows Hello will make Windows 10 more personal by providing instant access to your devices through biometric authentication – using your face, iris or fingerprint to unlock your devices – with technology that is significantly safer than traditional passwords. We’re working closely with our hardware partners to deliver Windows Hello-capable devices that will ship with Windows 10. We are thrilled that all OEM systems incorporating the Intel RealSense F200 sensor will fully support Windows Hello, including automatic sign-in to Windows. You can read more about Windows Hello here.

Today, we also shared how Windows 10 will support today’s maker boards, enabling makers to do amazing things with Windows in the fast-growing Internet of Things space.

For the first time, a new version of Windows for small footprint IoT devices will be available – for free – when Windows 10 launches. Windows 10 will offer versions of Windows for a diverse set of IoT devices, ranging from powerful devices like ATMs and ultrasound machines, to resource constrained devices like gateways. Through key partnerships with the Raspberry Pi Foundation, Intel, Qualcomm and others, we will provide great options for commercial devices builders, hobbyists and students.

We also introduced the Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C to the Windows 10 device family. The Qualcomm DragonBoard 410C is the first Windows 10 developer board with integrated Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, and a smartphone-class Snapdragon 410 chipset.

Windows 10 is the only platform that supports innovation across such a broad family of hardware and we are committed to investing in the success of our partners and supporting their development activities.

I can’t wait to see how amazing companies around the world will continue to innovate with devices running Windows 10. Working together I know we can create some incredible experiences with Windows 10 that will truly delight our customers.

Terry”

By Stephen Pate, NJN Network