MIPS and Microsoft aim to dominate

Edited by the Electronicstalk editorial team Feb 7, 2003

A new alliance aims to make the MIPS architecture and the Microsoft Windows CE.NET operating system the technologies of choice for OEMs developing next-generation digital consumer devices.

Microsoft and MIPS Technologies have formed an alliance of leading silicon vendors to help make the industry-standard MIPS architecture and the Microsoft Windows CE.NET operating system the technologies of choice for OEMs developing next-generation digital consumer devices.

MIPS Alliance for Windows CE members include ADMtek, AMD, ATI Technologies, Broadcom Corp, Marvell Technology Group, NEC Electronics Corp, PMC-Sierra, Texas Instruments and Toshiba Corp.

Microsoft is hosting more than 50 executives from MIPS licensees this week in Redmond, Washington, for the first MIPS and Microsoft Executive Summit, to share the latest Windows CE and MIPS technology road maps and business strategies.

"The MIPS Alliance for Windows CE is a win-win partnership", said Tony Massimini, Chief of Technology at Semico Research Corp.

"The pairing of two best-in-class companies will bring an optimised MIPS/Windows CE solution closer to the digital home entertainment environment.

System OEMs and, ultimately, the consumer will be the greatest beneficiaries".

"Microsoft is pleased to be a leading participant in the alliance with MIPS and the member companies", said Keith White, Senior Director of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft.

"The alliance will result in more MIPS processors being supported on Windows CE.NET, with its rich capabilities for smart mobile and small-footprint devices, offering OEM customers a greater range of choices designed for specific devices such as automotive infotainment, residential gateways, set-top boxes and voice-over-IP phones".

"Industries such as the automotive, digital television and residential gateway segments, as well as voice-over IP phones, require innovative system-on-a-chip (SOC) solutions that deliver an optimised user experience", said Kevin Meyer, Vice President of Marketing at MIPS Technologies.

"MIPS Technologies continues to work with its leading licensees and partners to ensure that OEM customers have a full choice of 32 and 64bit MIPS-based solutions supported by the Microsoft Windows CE.NET development platform".

The MIPS Alliance for Windows CE builds upon the 10-year relationship of Microsoft and MIPS in response to the increasing demand for Windows CE support on 32 and 64bit MIPS-based microprocessors.

As a result of the alliance, companies such as Toshiba have dedicated engineering and marketing resources to optimise the Windows CE.NET platform for the MIPS32 and MIPS64 architectures.

The MIPS and Microsoft Executive Summit is an invitation-only two-day workshop that will provide MIPS partners with information about the latest MIPS and Windows CE technologies and business opportunities available through integration of the MIPS architecture and Windows CE.NET.

Topics to be covered at the summit include marketing strategies, technology road maps, silicon-vendor case studies of successful embedded solutions and technical overviews.

Keynote presentations will be given by Todd Warren, General Manager of the Embedded and Appliance Platforms Group at Microsoft; Kevin Meyer, Vice President of Marketing for MIPS Technologies; and Keith Diefendorff, Vice President of Product Strategy for MIPS Technologies.

Demonstrations will show the capacity of Windows CE to create custom Windows powered devices that include rich networking, multimedia and web browsing functionality.

Products to be demonstrated include Windows CE.NET and products that take advantage of Windows CE, including eHome, MSN, Windows for Automotive and Windows Media.