Change the OS, stop the train: Why industrial software stability is non-negotiable – We Talk IoT #84

Most people think they know Windows. Industrial OEMs know better.

In this episode, Yann Stridde, Senior Business Development Manager for Microsoft Windows IoT at Avnet Silica, explains why the operating system running a factory robot, a crane in Dubai, or a medical imaging device is fundamentally different from the one on your office PC – and why that difference matters more than ever.

Windows IoT Enterprise is not a new product. Its roots go back to Windows Embedded in the late nineties. But the stakes around it have never been higher. The EU Cyber Resilience Act is coming into force. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise has reached end of support. And industrial OEMs face a hard question: how do you manage a 10-year device lifecycle when AI is reshaping the landscape every 18 months?

Yann walks us through the certification chain behind a train brake system to show why changing an OS mid-lifecycle can literally stop a train at the station. He explains what Microsoft's 10-year Long-Term Servicing Channel actually guarantees – and where its limits lie. And he makes the case that for small OEMs who have to build their own security patches, peace of mind has a price worth paying.

We also explore LiRISE, the ARM-based edge AI solution from Liebherr-Components and Reycom, shown at Embedded World 2026. A real-world example of Windows IoT on ARM running in harsh environments without active cooling, and why power efficiency is now a competitive requirement, not a nice-to-have.

Tune in to find out what the industrial world demands from an operating system, and why the answer is not the Windows you know.

#windowsiot #embeddedsystems #cybersecurity #cyberresilienceact #iot #oem #arm #lirise #avnetsilica #wetalkiot

 

Summary of this week’s episode:

01:30 Yann's background: from Microsoft to Avnet Silica

03:00 Why IoT devices need their own version of Windows

06:30 Avnet Silica: advisory, licensing, and consulting for OEMs

08:30 Ten years of LTSC support: realistic in the AI era?

10:30 The train certification story: why OS stability is non-negotiable

15:00 Windows 10 IoT end of support: what OEMs must do now

17:30 Security and the EU Cyber Resilience Act

21:30 Choosing the right embedded OS: the key questions

23:30 LiRISE: Windows IoT on ARM at Embedded World 2026

26:30 ARM architecture, passive cooling, and the power efficiency argument

28:30 Use cases beyond industrial: kiosks, data centres, and more

 

Show notes:

Yann Stridde: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yannstridde/

Avnet Silica – Windows IoT Embedded Software: https://my.avnet.com/msembedded/embedded-software/overview

LiRISE® – Liebherr-Components and Reycom IoT solution: https://www.liebherr.com/en-us/components/solutions/iot-solutions/e2e-iot-edge-gateway-solution-6654887

 

Listen to the “We Talk IoT” Soundtrack on:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/05MOV4OV2MH2in2txsAGtG?si=ad08112cb8d443f4

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D-NvQ6VJYtE&list=PLLqgVFfZhDRVYmpEqbgajzDvGL4kACRDp

 

About Avnet Silica:

This podcast is brought to you by Avnet Silica—the Engineers of Evolution.

Subscribe to our newsletters here: https://my.avnet.com/silica/resources/newsletter/

You can connect with us on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/silica-an-avnet-company/. Or find us at www.avnet-silica.com.