Microsoft Auto Overview

Welcome to Microsoft Auto 4.0
Enriching the in-vehicle experience with an industry-leading platform for communication, entertainment, navigation, and connected services.

Microsoft® Auto 4.0 is the newest generation of embedded operating system from Microsoft designed specifically for developing state-of-the-art in-vehicle infotainment systems. Microsoft Auto is a standardized, industry proven platform for developing communication, entertainment, and service enabled location based solutions. This release includes a large set of integrated, fully tested, and flexible middleware components, as well as hundreds of components available with Windows® Embedded CE 6.0 R2, allowing Microsoft Auto based systems to scale across a broad range of automotive makes and models. Leveraging the rich tools and broad Microsoft® partner ecosystem, suppliers can reduce their development costs and speed their time to market.
 
Highlights of Microsoft Auto 4.0

Microsoft Auto is based on a vision to: “enrich the in-vehicle experience for drivers and passengers by bringing an industry leading platform software and services for communication, entertainment, navigation and information services to the mass market”. Taking a closer look at what this means…
Enrich the in-vehicle experience for drivers and passengers
The technology in Microsoft Auto is designed to enable easy to use, appropriate and relevant experiences for the front and rear seat, facing drivers and passengers alike. To stay relevant, the platform provides update capabilities to ensure state of the art support with modern consumer electronic devices through device updates, service content, and improving the time to market for automakers.
An industry leading platform and services
Microsoft Auto is a robust, extensible software platform to help deliver more reliable and cost effective in-car infotainment systems. Our goal is to reduce the cost, risk, and time to market of Telematics and infotainment solution development, by providing a platform with integrated communication, entertainment, and navigation service features, and the tools capable of creating unique solutions that help automakers and suppliers set them apart from the competition.
For Communication, Entertainment, Navigation and Information
The integrated components in Microsoft Auto help carmakers and Tier 1 suppliers connect drivers with a wide range of devices, services and technology, including hands-free Bluetooth phone communication, media and mobile device integration, rich content through connected services and state-of-the-art graphical capabilities and high-fidelity digital entertainment. What’s more, these technologies are not delivered in silos, separated from each other as individual components, but rather integrated to provide a seamless experience for customers. However, Microsoft Auto does not define or require a specific human-machine interface (HMI) or HMI technology. The end result is a complete, state of the art infotainment system that matches the look and feel of your target customer.
To the mass market
Our platform enables suppliers to create devices at a lower per-device cost, as well as lower design and engineering cost. It provides the ability to get to market faster through the use of standardized components and partners. Combined, these allow automakers to bring features once found only in luxury vehicles to consumers of any vehicle across all model lines.