[Techtaffy Newsdesk]

Microsoft has unveiled its product road map for Windows Embedded 8 and Windows Embedded Compact 2013. The Windows Embedded 8 Standard release preview is now currently available for download. General availability of Windows Embedded 8 is expected in January next year.

Windows Embedded 8 is a  family of device operating systems, including Windows Embedded 8 Standard, Windows Embedded 8 Pro and Windows Embedded 8 Industry. Each version has a distinct feature set that includes the building blocks for an intelligent system across hardware, software and services — namely, the ability to manage devices and identities, the presence of connected devices, the availability of rich, touch-enabled experiences, having devices that are secure, and the ability to analyze data.

The Windows Embedded platform also extends to Microsoft’s data analysis and server OS products through the availability of Microsoft SQL Server for embedded systems, released in April of this year, and Windows Server 2012 for embedded systems, released earlier this fall.