ORLANDO, Florida, June 4 /PRNewswire/ --

- Leading technology partners honoured for achievement on connected device platforms.

Microsoft Corp announced the winners of the 2008 Windows Embedded Partner Excellence Awards for the Americas, which were presented this week at the Tech*Ed North America 2008 Developers conference. The Windows Embedded Partner Excellence Awards recognise visionary organisations round the world that use Windows Embedded technology in innovative and creative ways. Windows Embedded Partners were honoured for their outstanding customer service and the many innovative ways they are using the Microsoft Windows Embedded platforms.

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"The Windows Embedded Partner Excellence Awards recognise the invaluable contribution partners make to our business through outstanding customer service and innovative uses of Windows Embedded technologies," said Ilya Bukshteyn, director of marketing for the Windows Embedded Business at Microsoft. "The accomplishments of our partner ecosystem play a key role in our success, and we are absolutely committed to helping our partners to continue to excel in their disciplines. I would like to extend my congratulations and thank each of the 2008 award winners for their commitment to excellence in customer service."

The winners in each category for their work with the Windows Embedded CE, Windows XP Embedded and Windows Embedded for Point of Service platforms are the following:

-- Adeneo: Training Partner. For its leadership in providing a variety of innovative training deliverables in conjunction with partners, universities, hardware vendors and Microsoft. -- BSQUARE Corp: Systems Integrator. For its leadership role in providing a broad range of engineering services for Windows Embedded CE and Windows XP Embedded. -- BSQUARE: Distributor. For continuing to raise the bar on providing Microsoft customers with world-class professional services and logistics capabilities for connected devices. -- HP: Windows XP Embedded Original Equipment Manufacturer. For its continued leadership in the thin-client space and for delivering an innovative line of remote computing solutions based on Microsoft Windows XP Embedded. -- Intrinsyc Software International Inc: Portable Navigation Device Partner. For the impact Intrinsyc has had with its strategic OEM design engagements in the portable navigation device category. Intrinsyc and its Soleus software platform are helping to drive the next generation of converged wireless PNDs with Windows Embedded CE. -- Magellan: Windows Embedded CE Original Equipment Manufacturer. For its commitment to creating devices that allow people to travel and work with leading portable navigation and positioning solutions across multiple markets using Windows Embedded CE. -- NCR Corp: Windows Embedded for Point of Service Original Equipment Manufacturer. For its commitment to leading how the world connects, interacts and transacts with business utilising Windows Embedded for Point of Service. NCR's assisted-service and self-service solutions address the needs of retail, financial, travel, healthcare, hospitality, gaming and public sector organisations in more than 100 countries. -- Odyssey Software: Windows Embedded for Point of Service Partner. For delivering innovative device management solutions to key strategic retail customers. -- PHYTEC: Independent Hardware Vendor. For driving adoption of Windows Embedded CE by providing a variety of OEM-deployable single board computer subassemblies and production-ready board support packages (BSPs). -- RMI Corp: Silicon Vendor. For its innovative work in delivering highly integrated system-on-a-chip modules for portable navigation and digital picture frame devices based on Windows Embedded CE.

The Microsoft OEM Embedded Sales Division also today announced the winner of the Partner Excellence Award for the Microsoft Specialized Server product line, which complements Windows Embedded products and technologies with a line of server operating systems licensed specifically for embedded server devices.

The winner of this award is the following:

-- Gilbarco Inc: Windows Specialized Server Original Equipment Manufacturer. For its continued leadership as a leading supplier of fuel-dispensing equipment and fully integrated point-of-sale systems utilising Windows Server for Embedded Systems that work seamlessly with devices running on Windows XP Embedded and Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and delivering innovative solutions to the global petroleum marketplace.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realise their full potential.

About Microsoft EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa)

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Web site: http://www.microsoft.com

Rebecca Beyer of Weber Shandwick, +1-212-445-8463, rbeyer@webershandwick.com, for Microsoft Corp/NOTE TO EDITORS: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft in EMEA, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/emea or the EMEA Press Centre at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at the time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact the appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/emea/presscentre/contactus.mspx. If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft Corp, please visit the Microsoft web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages./Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO, AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org, PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com