Microsoft and ARM announced three new supporters for Windows CE on ARM platforms today, at the MS-ARM 'buddies' Executive Summit in Redmond. The three latest, Motorola, STMicroelectronics and NeoMagic, become members of the ARM Consortium for Windows CE, joining the likes of Cirrus Logic, Intel, LG Semicon, Hynix, Samsung and Texas Instruments.

Which sounds pretty like critical mass to us. The Consortium was set up to facilitate ARM partners' communications with Microsoft and its compliance testing and certification procedures, while this week sees the very first Executive Summit, attendance by invitation only. It does however seem significant that ARM now qualifies for a full-fledged Microsoft conference

The product areas covered by the new members include "extended battery life, wireless technology and enhanced performance," today's announcement says somewhat vaguely. But in Motorola's case CE will be going onto the MX1 Dragonball, which also supports PalmOS, Linux and Symbian. STMicro appears to be doing SoC devices, while NeoMagic is doing applications processors for handheld internet devices. ®