On Wednesday, Microsoft announced it had released to manufacturing the version of its Windows XP Service Pack 2 for embedded devices.
Called “Windows XP Embedded With SP2,” the new release contains many of the same features and security fixes as the full Windows XP SP2 product that Microsoft delivered on August 6. The embedded version includes a new Windows Firewall component, Bluetooth support, generic device drivers, and support for Software Update Services and System Management Server distribution.
The target audience for the embedded version includes embedded developers, OEMs, system integrators and ISVs developing products for Windows XP Embedded devices, including point-of-sale terminals, medical systems and thin-client devices.
Microsoft is making a free evaluation edition embedded SP2 available for download. Customers who prefer a CD version of embedded SP2 have the option of ordering it from the Microsoft Web site.
Microsoft plans to make the embedded SP2 available in 25 languages, starting with English, Japanese, Portuguese, German, French and Spanish.
Microsoft officials said earlier this year to expect the release of embedded SP2 to follow by 60 days the release of the full SP2 product. In October, Microsoft said the embedded product would be out 90 days after the full SP2 release, which would have been on November 6. The embedded SP2 release ended up going gold about a month later than Microsoft originally projected.