Microsoft Corp. announced on Tuesday the release to manufacturing (RTM) of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3, enhanced with Microsoft Silverlight, which should provide a rich application experience through Silverlight for Windows Embedded user interface (UI) framework. The new release is expected to enable designers and developers to make improvements to the UI capabilities of their Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3-based devices, and also to deliver their products faster and with less associated costs.

“With the release of Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3, Microsoft has furthered its commitment to energize the evolution of consumer Internet devices (CIDs), which fall between Smartphones and the full-featured, small Windows-based notebooks, by empowering our OEM and developer ecosystem with innovative, new technologies to fuel rich, animated and compelling user experiences,” said Kevin Dallas, general manager of the Windows Embedded Business Unit at Microsoft.

Microsoft's Silverlight technology comes to Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 as an out-of-browser, native code implementation, and the presence of Silverlight for Windows Embedded should deliver the foundation for rich UIs on devices powered by the OS. Some of the features Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 has been packed with include the ability to allow designers to include panning and zoom, touch, and gesture input right from the start, deepening their knowledge of Silverlight, Microsoft Expression Blend and Internet Explorer Embedded, as well as a improved connectivity with Windows 7-based PCs via Windows 7 Device Stage and Microsoft Connection Manager.

OEMs will also have the opportunity to use existing investments in the Windows Embedded CE platform, such as board support packages (BSPs), hardware and design resources to leverage the design and development process, while the experience provided on devices and PCs with Microsoft Office and PDF viewers is expected to be a consistent one, the company said. OEMs will also have access to Silverlight Partner Initiative, a group of Microsoft partners that will help them improve their design skills in the embedded device market. In addition, the software giant also says that OEMs can now make a separation between the design of the user experience and the development of core functionality, so that the time-to-market is minimized.

“Microsoft has reaffirmed its investment in the Windows Embedded CE operating system and raised the bar by providing embedded OEMs with access to Visual Studio, Silverlight, Expression Blend and other advanced Microsoft technologies. These technologies help drive innovation and differentiation in devices, redefine the way users interact with devices at work and home, and deliver a consistent experience for end users across devices, Windows 7-based PCs, servers and online services,” Kevin Dallas added. Those who would like to learn more on Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3 can find additional information here, while details on the Silverlight Partner Initiative are available here.