Windows CE to Embedded Linux Migration Services

As you will undoubtedly know, Windows CE is out of support, and new Windows CE licences will no longer be available after 31 May 2028. f your product still depends on it, the reality is that you need a comprehensive and realistic plan for platform support, security, device hardware, and future development. In multiple, highly successful projects KDAB has helped embedded-product teams assess, plan, and deliver the transition to Embedded Linux without unnecessarily discarding valuable, proven product logic.

To get things moving in the right direction, KDAB offers the starting point of a fixed-price Windows CE migration assessment with no subsequent commitment. You receive a written technical report and a recommended migration roadmap. Furthermore, should KDAB be chosen to be a part of the migration project, the assessment fee will be offset against the agreed total investment.

Get a Decision-Ready Migration Assessment

Experience has shown that before committing to a major migration, it is imperative to establish what must change, what can be retained, and where the risks lie.

Having a senior KDAB engineering team review your Windows CE application, platform dependencies, target requirements, and product constraints would empower the creation of a written report that gives your engineering, product, and leadership teams a shared foundation for deciding how to proceed.

The fixed-price assessment includes:

• An estimate of expected effort, principal risks, and a realistic delivery timeline
• An evaluation of appropriate target technologies and architecture options
• Identification of platform-specific dependencies, including UI, APIs, build tooling, hardware access, networking, storage, and deployment
• Recommendations on what to retain, isolate, replace, or modernize
• A written report documenting findings, assumptions, options, risks, and recommended next steps
• A senior-engineer review of the results with your team

If you engage KDAB for the subsequent migration, the assessment fee is fully credited to that project.

The Decisions We Help You Make

Every Windows CE codebase and device platform is different. The assessment helps you make the decisions that determine cost, scope, and long-term maintainability.

For example, a C++/Qt product may retain much of its application logic while moving to a current Qt version and a Linux-native build environment. A C# product may retain portable .NET business logic while replacing its Windows Forms UI with a Linux-compatible framework. The key is to separate portable product value from Windows-specific implementation before deciding where to invest.

Migration Expertise Across the Full Stack

Windows CE migration projects span more than application code. A successful move can involve the UI, device interfaces, system startup, networking, image creation, updates, security, developer tooling, and long-term maintenance.

KDAB brings a wealth of senior embedded and cross-platform engineering expertise accumulated from many highly successful large and small projects over the last 25+ years:

• Embedded Linux architecture, system integration, Yocto, containerized deployments, and systemd
• C++, Qt, C#, modern .NET, build-system modernization, and CMake
• UI modernization for embedded products, including Qt, Slint, LVGL, Avalonia, and appropriate cross-platform alternatives
• Hardware and device integration, including CAN, GPIO, I²C, storage, networking, touchscreens, and remote access
• Codebase analysis, dependency mapping, test strategy, staged delivery, and migration-risk reduction

Our goal is not to prescribe a rewrite. It is to identify the shortest reliable path to a maintainable Linux-based product—preserving proven business logic where that reduces cost and delivery risk.

Start With Evidence, Not Assumptions

A Windows CE migration has long-term consequences for product security, maintainability, development velocity, licensing, hardware choices, and customer commitments. Begin with a concise, senior-led technical assessment—and move forward with a plan your engineering, product, and leadership teams can trust.