Microsoft announces Windows Rally network device framework, shows off first product

It's strange that we haven't heard a peep about this earlier, but apparently Microsoft's been working on a suite of bundled network discovery and configuration tools called Windows Rally, designed to ease ODM development of network devices and make them as easy to use as USB gear. Although things have been going down on the DL since April, today's the big coming-out party, and the crew in Redmond is celebrating with...the launch of VS-IPC1002 VGA webcam from China's Vimicro. Aimed at "China's fast-growing surveillance market," the standalone cam plugs directly into a 10/100 Ethernet network and uses Windows Rally to auto-configure itself and begin streaming 30fps video to a Vista PC. That doesn't sound like the sexiest thing in the world, but if it actually works as described, we might be seeing a lot of actually-interesting Rally-powered devices in the future.

Update: Check out a video of Rally being demoed at WinHEC after the break -- thanks, Dan Z.

Video: WinHEC 2007 - Windows Rally Demo

[Flashpoint @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:36PM]

its the UCAV quantum computer, EDI, from "STEALTH"

[Jeremy @ Jan 4th 2008 1:12AM]

The first half was great, but the part about the Windows Media Center Extender is bizarre. You can do the exact thing by getting an Ethernet cable and connecting it (i.e. - the XBox) to your router. If you want to do it wireless you get a wireless card for the XBox. Why would anyone buy a set of bridges when you really only need a single card/cable?

[Shane @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:38PM]

China? Fast growing surveillance market? No way!

[Dan Z @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:38PM]

I remeber reading about this awhile ago:

http://windowsvistablog.com/blogs/windowsexperience/archive/2007/05/16/talking-about-windows-rally.aspx

Looks like some promising stuff.

[Kamal @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:45PM]

This could do wonders for home automation and monitoring. Hmmm..... A healthy supply of add-ins for WHS that uses this could be very cool!

[theotherstevejobs @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:46PM]

seriously - wtf is wrong with Zeroconf other than that Microsoft can't control it since its an open standard that most printers now support? It could easily be added to any IP video camera, IP scanner, or just about any other damn IP thing you wanted.

i hate Microsoft.

[josh @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:54PM]

"seriously - wtf is wrong with Zeroconf other than that Microsoft can't control it since its an open standard that most printers now support?"

If I had to guess, it would be the wealth of security concerns that surround the implementation but hey, kookie MS for caring about security. Granted I hope MS has the good grace to allow other vendors to consume Rally based devices. Here's hoping the Windows Rally folks are more influenced by the relatively open CLR team and not the competition phobic elements in the company.

[the other steve jobs @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:02PM]

Microsoft has fooled the world into believing that if two IP devices can see each other on a network that there is a "breakdown" in security.

There used to be some responsiblity of the application layer to deny access - Microsoft has corrupted everyone's idea of security by firewall as the only means of "real" security. Many OS's can sit naked on the internet with no problems at all. Zeroconf doesn't do anything more than its asked to do and doesn't allow anything more than your ask it to. What possible "security" problem could there be with a printer letting everyone know that its here? If you want security - you do that at the application layer - not the network layer.

The network's job is to connect. Its the application layer's job to do work or not do work - evil or good. Anything that makes connectivity easier is a good thing. If you don't want to have devices connect - then don't use zeroconf, and don't put them on the same network.

[josh @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:48PM]

Wow, you really don't know what you are talking about do you? Have you read up on what Windows Rally is at all? It isn't just a specification that says that a device sends out a specific UDP broadcast, vista looks for the broadcast, and then automatically pairs. It is a consistent implementation to allow devices and clients to discover each other, securely pair, and ensure the pairing is not compromised, a task ZeroConf is not particularly suited for. Yeah, every damn device could create their own means of establishing a secure pairing with the client but not all device manufacturers are created equal in terms of secure design.

> Zeroconf doesn't do anything more than its asked to do and doesn't allow anything more than your ask it to.
And that is precisely the problem. It sucks at securely restricting who asks it to do what. It really is very inadequate at providing automatic discovery AND secure pairing; the discovery part it has down but it is very flawed when it comes to pairing. I really don't want some asshat wardriving by my house and telling my printer to spew goatse pictures (and hey, since you seem to be anti-network level security I guess my AP would be unsecured if you had your way).

>If you want security - you do that at the application layer - not the network layer.
By all means, lets get rid of WPA and transmit all wifi in the clear. Every application should be using SSL to communicate anyway so what is the harm? Screw bluetooth's built in security feature; every device and every client should pair automatically and transmit openly. Phones should pair with every headset that asks so I can listen to the steamy conversation on the other end of my office mate's phone. Down with consistent network level security!

Man, I am glad you aren't in charge of security for anything I use. Oh, and to be technical, since this is communication over TCP and doesn't require a customized network stack I would say this is an application layer on top of the network layer. Incidentally, so is ZeroConf.

[Wwhat @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:48PM]

Smart of MS, keep it under the hat so it's not hacked yet during the actual first release, that will happen only a few days later..

[Bryant @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:51PM]

Windows Rally is already a part of Windows Vista. I'm surprised you people are announcing this now. They talked about this at the Windows Hardware Engineering Conference back in May.

[Nilay Patel @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:57PM]

Check that press release -- today's the official launch day.

[Bryant @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:00PM]

for that camera, yes. Not for the technology itself. Rally is already a part of Windows Vista.

[Nilay Patel @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:04PM]

"The Microsoft-Vimicro Multimedia Technology Center today announced the launch of Windows Rally."

Nope, for both.

[Bryant @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:06PM]

http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2007/may07/05-15WindowsRally.mspx

That was the press release talking about Windows Rally. That wasn't even announcing the launch. The launch was with Windows Vista. This just talks about it as a technology.

[Bryant @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:06PM]

Then the press release is bad. Microsoft has not put out a release on it's own PR site (www.microsoft.com/presspass), so it's a failing on Vimicro's part.

[Nilay Patel @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:13PM]

The cam is the first device to ship with the tech, and the press release is full of quotes from MS execs, so if they want to call it the launch day, we're going to let them.

[Erwos @ Jan 3rd 2008 1:52PM]

Pricing will be the big issue for this one. Make it a hundred bucks, and it'll be a huge winner.

[Yuvamani @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:07PM]

Bonjour + ZeroConf does it for me + Its open source ...

But then Microsoft has to reinvent ever wheel in computer science anyway !

[Ruben @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:16PM]

Yea, why did they even bother making an Operating System or an Office suite when those already existed in some form before their releases? They didnt need to make a Software Development suite since someone else already did. When someone makes something for the first time, then everyone should stop even attempting and just use what was made.

That sounds like the smart way to do things.

[Joachim Bengtsson @ Jan 3rd 2008 4:55PM]

Ruben, there's a world of difference between making a competitor for a piece of software, and making a competitor for a de facto standard, one that happens to work great at that. It's very typical behavior for Microsoft.

Anyhow, to the topic at hand; Rally seems to have a much larger scope than the autodiscovery of zeroconf/Bonjour. However, I think it's bad style to create an entirely new standard that'll require hardware manufacturers to implement *two* standards just to be Windows-compatible in the future (as usual...), instead of basing Rally on top of zeroconf.

[shyamalv @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:12PM]

MAYBE engadged would have covered this months ago if they stopped posting every tiny f*cking piece of shit coming out of apple. You iSHIT posts suck!

I am shocked they even posted this. Engadget are you guys going to skip a paycheck from Apple now that you posted this?

[UKNigel @ Jan 3rd 2008 2:25PM]

Calm down. Take a deep breath, it's going to be ok. Mommy's here, I won't let them hurt you.

[Josh @ Jan 3rd 2008 3:34PM]

Hey this looks like a very promising technology.

When I get my new router, being able to copy the network settings/password etc from the laptop to my PSP via USB would be awesome, they should do this in a firmware upgrade...that way I dont have to type everything in via the on-screen keyboard (which is horrible for WPA keys).

[MattyG @ Jan 3rd 2008 4:40PM]

*yawn*

i'll say au revoir to windows rally and just say bonjour

call me when microsoft do something new or actually impressive

[TurboFool @ Jan 4th 2008 1:13PM]

Windows Rally's been known about for quite a while. Epson announced many months back that they were working directly with Microsoft to build this into their printers and showed off a fully-working all-in-one with this technology at the beginning of '07.

[bonedog73 @ Jan 4th 2008 5:07PM]

This a nice way for average people to easily setup devices on their home networks, without having to call the Geek Squad idiots.

Vista is the same way, it has been totally dumbed down for the average user.

For those IT guru's you will have to relearn where everything is and how to do it. But hey that's why you're an IT guru..