Digital Transformation with Windows for IoT
10/8/2021
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION WITH WINDOWS FOR IoT
How Microsoft’s specialized Windows 10 IoT Enterprise Operating System helps organizations maximize the benefits of their Digital Transformation. By Brian M. Posey
Interest in Digital Transformation has been intense in IT in recent years. Internet of Things (IoT) technologies figure prominently in the plans of many organizations with the most comprehensive and forward-looking Digital Transformation initiatives. One of the most efficient ways to get moving with IoT is to use Windows, an incredibly familiar technology for most enterprises, but yet one that is backed by an increasingly robust infrastructure of Microsoft-provided IoT technologies.
• Manufacturers were predicted to spend $267 billion on IoT in 2020.
• There is a $100 million average increase in operating income among the more digitally transformed enterprises.
• 94% of businesses will be using IoT by the end of 2021.
• There will be 80 billon connected “things” by 2025, which will be collectively generating 180 ZB of data.
• There will be $130 billion in new monetization avenues due to IoT related services.
• 80% of companies increased revenues as a result of IoT implementation.
• Microsoft has invested $5 billion in IoT. These trends are occurring across a wide range of industries and clearly convey the idea that enabling digital transformation through the use of IoT generates new opportunities and often leads to better business outcomes.
“...WINDOWS ALLOWS COMPANIES TO LEVERAGE EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE AND EXPERTISE TO MANAGE AND SECURE THOSE [IoT] DEVICES.” —JEFF TRAGER, MICROSOFT WINDOWS SOFTWARE LICENSING SPECIALIST, ADVANTECH
THE MICROSOFT APPROACH TO IoT
• Windows 10 IoT Core and Services
• Windows 10 IoT Enterprise
• Windows Server IoT 2019
• SQL Server IoT 2019
Incidentally, Windows Server IoT 2019 and SQL Server IoT 2019 are identical to the normal versions of Windows Server and SQL Server, but the addition of IoT to the name indicates that these products stem from the Microsoft Windows IoT channel formerly called the Embedded Channel.
5 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR AN IoT OS
The fourth consideration is management. Device management is key to keeping a device operating smoothly. Microsoft has been providing enterprise grade management for decades, and most of the existing tools used to manage Windows work with Windows 10 IoT Enterprise and Server IoT 2019.
The fifth essential consideration is the need for a full-featured operating system. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise has built-in features for machine learning, speech, cognitive services, container support, ROS, and video and audio processing, without the need for third-party libraries.
According to Trager, “Windows Embedded IoT is a family of operating systems that are designed to run a dedicated business application, or industry application, to serve a specific function. We’re talking about a retail point of sale terminal, MRI machine, industrial automation, Hospitality Kiosks and those sorts of things — anything but a general purpose PC.”
Microsoft sells Windows 10 through a number of different channels. The general purpose OEM channel, for example, only licenses Windows 10 Pro and Home.
Similarly, the Volume Licensing channel provides businesses with unique enterprise offerings for their internal devices. The OEM Embedded channel, which includes providers like Advantech, was created for OEM’s making dedicated devices, which are optimized for features, price, and perpetual licensing rights. Similarly, Microsoft offers multiple editions of Windows 10. Windows 10 Home is designed for personal use and includes features that allow consumers to be more creative and productive. Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise are intended for general-purpose business PCs and laptops. Pro releases are only supported for eighteen months, and Enterprise releases are only licensed to end users and can’t be resold. In contrast, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise is designed for dedicated devices with advanced lockdown features. This Windows 10 IoT Enterprise edition includes ten years of support and special pricing based on the CPU included in the system.
GENERAL-PURPOSE WINDOWS 10 EDITIONS SUCH AS WINDOWS 10 PRO AND WINDOWS 10 HOME REQUIRE ACTIVATION. WINDOWS 10 IoT ENTERPRISE ALSO REQUIRES ACTIVATION, BUT THE ACTIVATION PROCESS HAPPENS BEHIND THE SCENES IN A COMPLETELY SEAMLESS MANNER.
FOR IoT, PRO OR IoT ENTERPRISE?
The alternative is EPKEA, which stands for Embedded Product Key Activation. This method relies on a master key that is good for 50,000 activations. This is the activation method of choice for OEMs who produce a large number of devices because it allows the product key to be added to a Windows image, which can then be applied to thousands of devices before a new activation key is needed.
ADVANTECH, A HARDWARE OEM FOR INDUSTRIAL PCS
Advantech is a hardware OEM for industrial PCs. Those systems are based on either Windows 10 Pro (if there is a compelling business reason to use it) or on Windows 10 IoT Enterprise, which tends to be a much better fit. In addition to industrial PCs, Advantech also sells Windows 10 IoT Enterprise licenses as well as hundreds of other products. In all, Advantech offers over 1,500 different products, which is the largest product offering of any industrial PC vendor.
Advantech has over 8,000 worldwide employees and did $1.7 billion in revenue in 2020. They have partnerships with both Microsoft and Intel. Advantech is also able to help customers with license policy guidance and support. It offers dedicated account management with access to product management and software product support. Advantech offers support directly from Microsoft through their Professional Services Contract.
Some of the more unique support services that Advantech offers to its customers include roadmap planning sessions, troubleshooting issues such as activation, deployment, and connectivity, operating system image development and configuration.