Users of embedded devices and mobile phones running the Windows Mobile operating system need to get ready for an updating infrastructure and experience similar to that offered by Microsoft for its client and server platforms including the recent releases of Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista SP1 and Windows XP SP3. At this point in time, compared to the rest of the Windows products, Windows Mobile OSes are virtually ignored when it comes down to feature updates and security patches. But this will change in the future.

"As mobile & embedded devices grow in the marketplace and enterprise, it is becoming increasingly important for Microsoft and the industry to reliably and securely update & enhance these devices after they have been deployed," a representative of the Windows Devices Core OS Image Update team revealed.

With shipments of mobile phones and embedded devices having already topped the 1 billion milestone per year, Microsoft is indicating an increased focus on its Windows Mobile operating system. In the 2008 fiscal year the Redmond company has sold over 18 million licenses of Windows Mobile, and the platform is gaining sufficient traction so its evolution can no longer be left to the introduction of new major product versions.

In this regard, Microsoft is now attempting to copy the Windows Update system for the Windows client and server operating systems to Windows Mobile. "The Windows Devices Core OS Image Update team is [...] building and updating software for Windows Mobile devices - functionality analogous to Windows Update on the desktop," the WDCOSIU team member added.

In the future, Windows Mobile powered mobile/embedded devices will benefit not only from the release of security patches, but also from updates delivering new functionality and features. Microsoft is currently planning the deployment architecture, as well as the tools and technologies that will help build and serve updates to Windows Mobile platforms. Unfortunately, the software giant failed to reveal when it plans to implement Windows Update for Windows Mobile, or with which version of the mobile operating system end users will start enjoying the new functionality.

The project "dives deeply into device update technology standards and incorporates customer requirements from around the world. [It requires interaction] with key partners, technology team leads, and OS architects from many cross-teams as well as manage the cross-group dependencies from within and outside the division," the WDCOSIU team member said.