News

White paper aims to jumpstart IAD action on Win CE migration for ATMs

June 9, 2016

The ATM Industry Association has announced plans to take "a very proactive position" regarding the end of support for the Microsoft Windows CE operating system.

The embedded version of Windows runs on an estimated 450,000 ATMs worldwide, primarily in nonbank, retail deployments, according to an ATMIA press release. Microsoft has announced that the most recent version, 2013, will sunset in 2023.

To begin moving the industry toward a measured and well-organized migration away from the CE operating system, ATMIA has produced the "Windows CE Positioning Paper," the release said.

"Although seven years sounds like a long time, planning cycles tend to take up to two years to complete," said ATMIA CEO Mike Lee. "[B]esides, there are advantages to be gained by deployers from migrating well ahead of the deadline, especially when ATMs are being purchased or upgraded."

ATMIA also has launched a Windows CE 2023 committee to formalize a migration roadmap. The group will hold its first meeting July 21.

According to the association, deployers are already debating whether Windows IoT Enterprise is a better option than Windows IoT Core, the Microsoft recommended option.

"This new evolving roadmap for ATMs running on Win CE will be of special benefit to IADs for planning ahead so they can save costs and make the optimal choice for their next operating system," ATMIA U.S. Executive Director David Tente said in the release.

ATMIA is undertaking a similar effort for the migration from Windows 7 (and in some cases still, XP) to Windows 10. A separate committee is working on a Windows 10 roadmap for 2020, in addition to considering alternative operating systems and new architectures.