Wintel阵营再度联手进军物联网

微软(Microsoft)与其PC老战友──英特尔(Intel)即将再度连手，预计在今年四月发布共同进军物联网(IoT)的合作伙伴计划。两家公司预计将推出一款可支持英特尔32位 Pentium 指令集架构 Quark处理器的 IoT 产品。 但 这项计划将会着重于 Windows 的嵌入式版本、 Windows Phone 或其它程序代码，目前尚不清楚。此外，这项计划是否包括采用微软 Windows Azure 云端服务的各项 IoT 服务，目前也还不得而知。但双方的这项计划预计将在旧金山举行的微软开发者大会(Microsoft Build)上发布。 PC市场从早期的高成长时代发展至今，Wintel双头寡占的局面已经存在许多年了。如今，PC成长已经趋于平缓，这两大巨擘针对新兴的IoT市场展开合作也是很自然的。 “两 家公司在许多以嵌入式市场为基础的部署仍密切相关，”Venture Development Corp.公司负责追踪IoT发展的分析师Christopher Rommel指出，“但唯有双方连手以针对低能耗设备的合作开发蓝图和解决方案致力于满足现有客户基础的期望与需求，这一切才显得有意义。”然而，他表示 并未听到两家公司发表任何具体的产品计划。 对于英特尔来说，与微软在IoT方面的合作“将进一步展现该公司支持低能耗设备作 业系统的承诺——除了Wind River与Android以外，”Christopher Rommel表示，“而对于微软来说，这将为其带来一个向下延伸至设备层级的新机会——这一领域一向由更传统实时操作系统所服务，而 Windows CE/Compact 以往是无法触及的。” 微软还可能在 IoT 方面寻求其他微处理器伙伴的合作。其 Windows RT 以及 Compact 7 目前已能支持ARM了，从而为一大堆适于 IoT 应用的整合型、低功耗处理器开启了大门。 该 公司在嵌入式操作系统领域的发展历程十分曲折。过去已经推出了好几个基于其Windows程序代码子集的平台版本，但经常因为未提供足够的支持而引发争议， 特别是在实时功能方面。不过，它已经在嵌入式系统领域占据重要位置了，拥有广大的 Windows 开发者社群，同时也有很好的机会可结合其设备软件与 Azure 云端服务。 竞争厂商们都将目光投向了这些类似的机会。苹果公司(Apple)CEO库克曾经提到改变“用户的生活体验”的方式，意味着它应该是一种可执行于消费 IoT 云端服务的方式。IBM已经为其企业用户实现 IoT 云端服务了，思科(Cisco Systems)预计也将在不久后推出类似的服务。 “我不知道大家对于Windows 的 IoT 版本会有什么样的反应，”以其母公司LogMeIn平台提供云端 IoT服务的Xively公司产品策略副总裁Chad Jones表示，“接下来我们还会看到越来越多的公司投入市场，并持续扩大这一市场大饼。” 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Susan Hong 参考英文原文：Wintel Rides Again, Now to IoT ，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} Wintel Rides Again, Now to IoT Rick Merritt SAN JOSE, Calif. — Microsoft is expected to announce a partnership in April to dive into the Internet of Things with its veteran PC partner, Intel. The two are expected to deliver an IoT offering that supports Intel's Quark, a Pentium-class processor for the IoT. It's not clear whether the work will focus on embedded versions of Windows, Windows Phone, or another code base. Whether the work includes hosted IoT services using Microsoft's Windows Azure cloud service also is unclear. Neither Microsoft nor Intel responded to requests for interviews on the topic today. The plan is expected to be announced at Microsoft Build in San Francisco. The Wintel duopoly has ruled the PC market from its early high-growth days until the present. Now that PC growth has leveled off, it makes sense for the two to collaborate on emerging markets in the IoT. "Much of their deployed base in the embedded market remains interwoven," Christopher Rommel, an analyst covering the IoT at VDC Research, told us. "It only makes sense that they would look to cater to the desires and needs of their existing customer base with a joint roadmap and solution for small-footprint devices." He has not been briefed on any specific product plans from the two companies. For Intel, an IoT partnership with Microsoft "would be a further demonstration of their commitment to support a range of operating systems for small-footprint devices – beyond Wind River and Android," he said. "For Microsoft, it would serve as a an opportunity to push down to device classes historically served by more traditional real-time operating systems that CE/Compact couldn't even address previously." Microsoft is likely to tap other microprocessor partners for the IoT. Its Windows RT and Compact 7 already support ARM, opening the door to a smorgasbord of integrated, low-power processors well suited for IoT apps. The company has something of a checkered history in embedded operating systems. It has rolled out several versions of platforms based on subsets of its Windows code, but it has often taken heat for not providing adequate support, especially for real-time features. Nevertheless, it has a significant installed base in embedded systems, a wide community of Windows developers, and an opportunity to tie together its device software with Azure cloud services. Competitors are eyeing similar opportunities. Apple CEO Tim Cook has talked in vague terms about changing the "user experience" of living in ways that suggest it could be working on a consumer IoT cloud service. IBM already has an IoT cloud service for businesses, and Cisco Systems is expected to launch one soon. "I don't know how people will react to a version of Windows for IoT," Chad Jones, vice president of product strategy for Xively, which provides cloud IoT services based on the platform of its parent company, LogMeIn, told us. "In the end, more companies jumping into this market will increase the pie."