A little over half a year since the general availability deadline of Windows 7, Microsoft is gearing up to make available a new release of the operating system, this time around the componentized embedded version. Windows Embedded Standard 7 is the successor of Windows Embedded Standard 2009, and is based on the Windows 7 platform, according to Microsoft, as the company skipped Windows Vista altogether, when it came down to the next generation of its embedded OS product line-up.

“Microsoft will be launching Windows Embedded Standard 7 at the Embedded Systems Conference (ESC) in Silicon Valley on April 27th,” the Redmond company revealed in email invitations sent out to the testers who helped build the latest version of Windows Embedded. “There will be many people from the Windows Embedded development and marketing teams on hand at this conference, and if you are planning on attending we would love to talk with you! Make sure to attend the Industry Address: Building Windows 7 Powered Devices on Tuesday, April 27th at 10:30am given by Kevin Dallas, General Manager for Windows Embedded.”

Microsoft planned initially for the successor of Windows Embedded Standard 2009 to be labeled officially as Windows Embedded Standard 2011. However, the software giant had a change of heart generated by the need to illustrate the intimate connection between Windows 7 and the next iteration of Windows Embedded. This is how the operating system developed under the codename Quebec ended up as Windows Embedded Standard 7.

“Please join Kevin Dallas, General Manager for Windows Embedded at Microsoft, for the launch of Windows Embedded Standard 7 where he will detail how you can build rich user experiences on Windows 7 based devices. In addition, Mr. Dallas will be demonstrating a number of new and compelling consumer and enterprise devices built on the latest Windows Embedded platforms and outline a refreshed product roadmap designed to provide the latest Microsoft technologies for the embedded market. Attendees to the Windows Embedded Industry Address will be entered into a drawing for a chance to win a custom home theater media center device based on Windows Embedded Standard 7,” the software giant added in the email message sent to testers.