Windows® Embedded POSReady 2009 (Point Of Service, WePOS)
Windows® Embedded POSReady 2009 (POS = Point of Service) is a cheaper version of Windows® XP Professional with Service Pack 3 platform (WePOS on SP2) that has been optimized for retail point-of-service (POS) devices. POSReady2009 is based on XP-Embedded. Point of Service delivers improved customer service through the use of flexible devices such as self-checkout stations, self-service kiosks, information kiosks, food ordering kiosks, and more.
Specifically, it provides the following advantages:
- POSReady2009 is the point-of-service operating system platform that is easier to install, setup and manage. No activation like XP Professional is needed. POSReady is the first POS operating system platform to provide plug and play peripheral support enabling retailers to quickly install and integrate current and legacy retail device peripherals into a point-of-service system. This standard platform is also optimized for retail and hospitality applications and provides support for familiar network management technologies.
- POSReady empowers retailers to create the most compelling customer interactions by providing retail-specific technologies and full support for standard retail applications and device peripherals.
- POSReady provides low retail point-of-service life-cycle costs by decreasing operating system and application development costs, deployment costs, servicing, and maintenance costs as well as POS hardware costs while providing the longest published product support life cycle for point-of-service systems until 2024. Microsoft has designed Windows® Embedded for Point of Service to enable OEM partners to build POS devices that provide the functionality that retail customers desire. It provides a standard, retail-optimized platform that ISVs can use as a flexible, secure foundation for POS applications targeted to the retail marketplace. It also provides support for device peripherals that implement the Unified POS (UPOS) specifications, enabling peripheral vendors to integrate their devices into a POSReady based POS system easily.
Find here an Overview Datasheet about Microsoft POSReady 2009.
Visit the secured download section for an Overview Presentation about Microsoft POSReady 2009 and WePOS.
WePOS System and POS.net Layer
XP-Embedded Studio comes with all of the development tools needed to design, create, build your own POSReady 2009. It enables original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners to build easy-to-use, secure, cost-effective POS solutions that provide the broad range of functionality retail customers want.
Based on the technologies available in Windows XP with Service Pack 2, POSReady 2009 is the first POS platform that provides Plug-n-Play functionality for retail device peripherals. It also provides support for device peripherals that implement the Unified POS interoperability specifications published by the Association of Retail Technology Standards (ARTS). This includes peripherals based on OLE for point of sale (OPOS) and JavaPOS (JPOS) implementations as well as peripherals based on the POS for .NET implementation.
POSReady 2009 enables peripheral vendors to integrate their devices into a POSReady 2009 based POS system easily and ensures that the operating system provides lower development, deployment, management, and hardware costs than other POS environments. Microsoft has committed to support POSReady 2009 for up to 10 years after its initial release. Retailers and OEMs are assured that Microsoft is supporting their needs for the life cycle of the next generation of POS systems.
- .NET class library based on UPOS 1.9
- Supports legacy (COM-based) COs/SOs
- API for enumeration of POS devices
- Exposes plug-n-play notifications as UPOS-like events
- Exposes device statistics as PerfMon counters
- Instantiation of service objects
- Unified POS/ OPOS/ JavaPOS support
- Win32 and .NET framework
- Java VM support.
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Windows® POSReady 2009 Key Features
| Key Facts | Description |
|---|---|
| Low Cost | Lower licensing costs than XP Professional but higher than XP-Embedded. There is an 120 day evaluation version available for free. |
| No Activation | No Windows® Product Activation is needed like XP Professional. |
| Processor Architectures | Because POSReady 2009 (WePOS) is based on XP-Embedded, the processor support is the same. All x86 starting with a Pentium II 266 are supported as well as all x86 derivates. |
| Modular | Additional Driver Support, Language Support, Local Management Support, Management Client Support and Media Player can be choosen to lower the footprint. |
| Easy Installation | WePOS is installable from CD like XP Professional. No toolkit like XP-Embedded needed. |
| Small Footprint | Minimal image size around 280 MB, a full featured build around 500 MB. The application is not included. |
| Time-To-Market | Only to install. Less to configure than XP Professional. |
| Industry Standard | WePOS interoperates with industry standards and existing Microsoft desktop and server technologies to help you create differentiated devices for a broad range of device categories, from commercial devices to consumer electronics products. Microsoft committed to a ten-year extended support for WePOS. |
| Security | You can take all advantages from the SP2 features (Firewall). POSReady 2009 devices are able to connect over internet to the Microsoft Update Server. All the normal patches from XP Professional as well as SUS (System Update Server) and SMS (System Management Server) will work with WePOS. There is also a easy ways to update a POSReady 2009 Image with the integrated DUA (Device Update Agent) service. |
| Application Development | All applications and drivers from XP Professional will work on WePOS. No rewriting or porting is nessessary. Special POS.net framework available and compatible with the uPOS layer. Visit the secured download section for more information about the POS.net layer. |