Microsoft today released two of its new Windows Embedded 8 operating system products today, with a third product expected next month.Windows Embedded 8 Standard and Windows Embedded Pro are available now to device manufacturers and end users. These new operating systems offer interface, security and management capabilities for original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) building devices for industries such as retail, healthcare and manufacturing, among others.

Windows Embedded 8 Industry, which is the successor product to Windows Embedded POSReady 7 for retail industries, will be available during "the week of April 1," according to Microsoft's announcement.Microsoft Hitting 7-inch Tablet Market with Windows Blue. No other embedded product details were disclosed, although Microsoft opened a Windows Embedded 8 launch site here. The company had disclosed its early Windows Embedded 8 roadmap, describing the family of products, back in November.

"Through our volume license channel on top of these Embedded 8 products, we're allowing the user to modify the functionality of the device," Wurster said in a phone interview. "In some ways, that will happen very similarly to what happens with Windows in that we have a dedicated version of Windows Embedded 8 Industry that will be available through volume licensing that is unique to that channel. That will be available July 1. But for products that are little more highly customized by the OEM -- they're built like on Windows Embedded 8 Standard -- we are enabling enterprise customers to activate enterprise features through volume licensing."