Microsoft enhances Windows CE .NET for VoIP

Today at the Spring 2003 Voice on the Net Trade Show & Expo, Microsoft announced a comprehensive Windows CE .NET-based voice over IP (VoIP) solution for desktops and mobile phones.

The new enhancements to Windows CE .NET include a sample Telephony User Interface (TUI), a comprehensive VoIP Application Interface Layer (VAIL) and Enterprise Infrastructure Integration services.Microsoft also announced that leading global original device and equipment manufacturers (ODMs and OEMs) are developing VoIP devices using Windows CE .NET. Manufacturers include BCM Computers Co.Ltd., Casio Computer Company Ltd., Hitachi Ltd., NEC Infrontia Corp., Samsung Electronics, Symbol Technologies Inc. and Tatung Co. In addition, industry-leading silicon vendors, including AdvancedMicro Devices Inc. (AMD), ARM Ltd., Broadcom Corp., Conexant Systems Inc., Intel Corp., MIPS Technologies Inc. and Texas Instruments Inc., are optimizing their CPUs and building reference designs forVoIP devices running Windows CE .NET.

“VoIP is creating new opportunities for the communications industry to offer greater convenience and productivity to its customers,” said Todd Warren, general manager of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft. “Windows CE .NET 4.2 will provide the industry’s most integrated and extensible standards-based VoIP device platform, enabling OEMs and network equipment providers (NEPs) to more quickly, easily and richly innovate and deliver on the promise of VoIP.”

Platform for VoIP-Enabled Devices and Connected Applications

The new VoIP enhancements to Windows CE .NET consist of three core elements that enable OEMs and NEPs to rapidly and cost-effectively build VoIP-enabled devices for enterprise-class customer environments:

• Telephony User Interface provides a fully integrated and telephony-specific graphical user interface that OEMs can easily customize and extend.
• VoIP Application Interface Layer provides a comprehensive, extensible VoIP application suite and API layer, based on real-time communication and SIP, enabling OEMs and network operators to easily write and customize voice applications to meet market needs.
• Enterprise Infrastructure Integration services provide new support for the .NET Compact Framework and key new security and network technologies such as IP Security (IPSec) and 802.11a to facilitate device integration into existing IT infrastructures.

The new enhancements will be included in version 4.2, the next release of Windows CE .NET, due in the second quarter of 2003. More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/embedded/devices/voip/

At Spring 2003 VON, Microsoft and Samsung demonstrated a Windows CE .NET-based IP-enabled landline screen phone. The first wave of Windows CE .NET-based VoIP devices is expected to be delivered to the marketplace by OEMs and ODMs during the second half of 2003.

The VoIP enhancements to Windows CE .NET integrate with “Greenwich,” currently in beta, to provide a standards-based and extensible real-time communications client and server solution. The VoIP enhancements also complement the recently launched Microsoft® Windows 2000 Server for Telecommunications Systems with the Server Appliance Software 2.0, embedded server software for telecommunications equipment designed for use in small to medium-sized businesses. OEMs, network operators and enterprises use Microsoft Windows 2000 Server for Telecommunications Systems to create telecommunications-centric server applications such as call centers, unified messaging and interactive voice recognition. NEC Infrontia and RADVISION Corp. are among the first industry-leading companies deploying Microsoft Windows 2000 Server for Telecommunications Systems.