Microsoft Infotainment Solutions

Microsoft offers two platforms on which carmakers and Tier One suppliers can choose to build their infotainment solutions: Microsoft® Auto 3.0 and Windows® Automotive 5.0. Both offer faster time-to-market and a reliable, automotive-ready operating system.

And both allow developers to utilize design work across multiple products. The result is increased efficiency, reduced costs, and faster design cycles. Select your platform based on the depth of development, your technical focus, and your audience. No matter which you choose, you have the confidence of knowing it’s backed by Microsoft, a leader in
embedded operating systems.

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Microsoft Auto 3.0.
Microsoft Auto 3.0 provides an integrated middleware stack and hardware reference design for a more robust starting point. Built on the Windows Embedded CE 6.0 operating system, Microsoft Auto 3.0 also boasts an open architecture that allows you to easily extend functionality with your own custom solutions. To help ensure solutions remain current, the system architecture and tools allow for easy system updates after installation. Use your own tool set to design a custom user interface (UI). Microsoft Auto is the platform used by Microsoft and Ford to engineer the award-winning in-car communication and entertainment system, Ford Sync, while Fiat has used Microsoft Auto for more than two years as the platform for their Blue&Me and Blue&Me Nav technology.

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Windows Automotive 5.0.
If you prefer to have complete control over the implementation of your device, Windows Automotive 5.0 provides a stable platform on which to build. Windows Automotive includes all the benefits of Windows CE 5.0, such as Platform Builder, plus several tools built especially for the automotive industry. Windows Automotive 5.0 is built to enable efficient development of multiple device models at a time, with enhanced software reusability. The included Automotive User Interface Toolkit (AUITK) allows for efficient automotive-specific, custom user interface development. The time-consuming system tuning and fast cold boot are enabled using the Automotive System Toolkit (AST), which includes tools for optimizing performance through CPU management, diagnostics, and error handling. Like Microsoft Auto, Windows Automotive also provides a set of common application programming interfaces (APIs) familiar to developers the world over. Tier One suppliers such as Alpine, Clarion, JVC, and Mitsubishi Electric have built successful solutions using Windows Automotive 5.0.

(sourtce: Microsoft)

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