BSQUARE Releases New Set-top Box Software; BSQUARE provides turnkey set-top box development solution based on leading industry platforms.Business Editors and Technology WritersNAB2000 LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 11, 2000 BSQUARE Corporation (Nasdaq:BSQR) released today its new Set-top Box The cable TV box that sits on "top" of the TV "set," although it is often located several feet away in an equipment rack. The set-top box descrambles the premium channels and provides a tuner for the higher cable numbers that very old TVs did not support. Software Development Kit (SDK (Software Developer's Kit) See developer's toolkit and Windows SDK. SDK - Software Developers Kit (or "Software Development Kit"). ) to enable original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), application developers, and network operators to shorten development cycles and provide a leading edge digital set-top box solution to the fast growing interactive digital TV market. Using the BSQUARE Set-top Box SDK as a foundation, device developers can also come to a single source, BSQUARE, to license additional products and services for set-top boxes, including the Insignia Jeode(TM) Java solution, BSQUARE faxing, printing, and other utility applications, and BSQUARE's CEValidator(TM) Platform Tester quality assurance tool. The BSQUARE Set-top Box Solution is based on the Microsoft TV Microsoft TV is a division within Microsoft Corporation that develops software platforms for use in set top boxes to access programming over a Cable TV network. It provides integrated audio, video and data services over a single network. platform and the National Semiconductor(R) (Nasdaq:NSM (Network and System Management) Running and controlling the networks and computer systems in an enterprise. See network management. ) Geode(TM) hardware reference platform. "Set-top boxes are the next hot Internet appliance Also called "information appliance," "smart appliance," and "Web appliance," it is a device specialized for accessing the Web and/or e-mail. Designed for ease of use, it plugs into a telephone jack or LAN connection for Internet hookup. , set to revolutionize our television and Internet viewing experiences," said Paul Budak, Business Unit Director of BSQUARE's Set-top Box Group. "Our new development kit and additional licensed products will help developers create and add function to the rapidly escalating deployment of set-top boxes." "Microsoft TV is one of the platforms of choice for the next generation of digital set-top boxes and interactive televisions, and we chose BSQUARE as our partner due to their in-depth expertise with Microsoft TV," said Paul McCormick, Set-top box Marketing Manager of National Semiconductor. "Their software development solution is an excellent companion to our Geode reference platform. Together with BSQUARE, we're providing a complete out-of-the-box solution to enable fast set-top box development." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. Kevin Hause, director of Consumer Devices research at IDC, interactive-capable NetTV deployments will increase from 10.1 million units in 1999 to more than 72.3 million units deployed worldwide by the end of 2004. BSQUARE Software Enables Fast Set-top Box Deployment BSQUARE's new Set-top Box SDK includes all of the system level components needed to integrate Microsoft TV Client to the National Geode hardware reference platform for complete set-top box development. The BSQUARE Set-top box SDK provides a flexible, customizable, and extensible architecture, high-speed broadband connectivity, and an interface and applications designed for the TV environment. The production-quality device drivers are tailored to the on-chip and on-board capabilities of the Geode reference platform, and include: -- MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) An ISO/ITU standard for compressing digital video. Pronounced "em-peg," it is the universal standard for digital terrestrial, cable and satellite TV, DVDs and digital video recorders (DVRs). 2 decoder -- 2D graphics with MMX (MultiMedia EXtensions) A set of 57 additional instructions built into the Pentium MMX chip for improved multimedia and modem performance by performing mathematical operations on multiple sets of data at the same time (see SIMD). support -- Video processor with NTSC/PAL encoder -- AC97 codec (1) (enCOder/DECoder) A hardware circuit that performs analog-to-digital conversion (ADC) and digital-to-analog (DAC) conversion. When analog signals are entered into a computer, cellphone or other device via a microphone or video source such as VHS tape or analog TV, with 5.1 channel audio support -- Analog TV tuner -- 10/100 Ethernet port A socket on a computer or network device for plugging in an Ethernet cable. See WAN port. (DP83815 "Macphyter") -- USB USB in full Universal Serial Bus Type of serial bus that allows peripheral devices (disks, modems, printers, digitizers, data gloves, etc.) to be easily connected to a computer. keyboard and mouse -- IR support for keyboard and remote control -- Onboard Super I/O "Super I/O" is the name given to a class of I/O controller integrated circuits that began to be used on personal computer motherboards in the late 1980s. A super I/O chip combines interfaces for a variety of low-bandwidth devices. Serial and Parallel (IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, New York, www.ieee.org) A membership organization that includes engineers, scientists and students in electronics and allied fields. 1284) -- IDE driver for HD and DVD-ROM DVD-ROM: see digital versatile disc. A read-only DVD disc used to permanently store data files. DVD-ROM discs are widely used to distribute large software applications that exceed the capacity of a CD-ROM disc. -- I2C I2C Inter-Integrated Circuit I2C Intelligent Interface Controller I2C Intelligent Controller compatible and PCI bus support -- M-SYSTEMS DiskOnChip support In addition to the platform specific drivers, this kit includes the BSQUARE loader and add-on drivers such as DVB-S See DVB. support for Broadlogic 2030. All components have been tested and verified using BSQUARE's CEValidator(TM) Platform Tester quality assurance tool. "BSQUARE is at the forefront of providing innovative software infrastructure products to enable the interactive television age," said Alan Yates, Director of Marketing at Microsoft Corp. "OEMs and network operators can feel confident that by deploying the set-top box solutions brought forth by BSQUARE and National Semiconductor, they will be providing end customers with one of the best solutions available." Existing BSQUARE Intellectual Property, Technologies, and Industry Partnerships Leveraged Into Custom Software Solutions for Set-top Box OEMs In addition to the Set-top Box SDK, OEMs can come to BSQUARE to include additional functionality for a set-top box deployment. BSQUARE's BlueWater Systems Driver Development Toolkits, for example, enable BSQUARE engineers to quickly write custom device drivers to get the customer's hardware running Windows CE.. BSQUARE's faxing, spreadsheet, backup and other utility applications are pre-developed and ready for porting to add functionality for the set-top box's eventual end-users. For devices that will need updating after they are deployed, BSQUARE licenses and integrates its new CE Remote Updater. BSQUARE also integrates industry leading technologies such as the Insignia(R) Jeode Java Solution. If a set-top box OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) The rebranding of equipment and selling it. The term initially referred to the company that made the products (the "original" manufacturer), but eventually became widely used to refer to the organization that buys the products and requires hardware or application testing, BSQUARE completes it quickly and thoroughly using its CEValidator family of quality assurance tools. Price and Availability The Set-top Box SDK is now available in two versions. The Binary Version includes non-customizable binary code and will be made available free of charge for evaluation purposes only. This allows set-top box OEMs, network operators and application developers to quickly and easily evaluate this set-top box platform. For completely customized adaptations, the Source Version of the Set-top Box SDK provides source code for the most complete development environment available. The Source Kit is priced at $14,995. About BSQUARE BSQUARE Corporation (Nasdaq:BSQR) is a dynamic software company working with Fortune 500 companies to enable the age of intelligent computing devices. Specializing in Windows CE and Windows NT Embedded See Windows XP Embedded. , BSQUARE supplies software products and services for the development and use of PC Companions, Internet appliances, industrial automation devices, Windows-based terminals, and other intelligent computing devices. BSQUARE's expertise in embedded Windows is derived from years of contributing to the development of the Windows CE operating system, from serving as a Microsoft preferred provider of Visual Tools for Windows CE, and from in-depth experience with Windows NT. BSQUARE is a Microsoft-sanctioned systems integrator and distributor. For more information, visit BSQUARE at http://www.bsquare.com or call 888/820-4500. BSQUARE is a registered trademark of BSQUARE Corporation. All names, product names, and tradenames are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. Pricing is subject to change without notice. This release contains forward-looking statements relating to our sales that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "anticipate," variations of such words, and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could affect BSQUARE's actual results include the failure of the market to accept this product, adverse changes in BSQUARE's relationship with Microsoft, a decline in the market for Windows -based intelligent computing devices or the failure of such market to develop as anticipated, delays or announcements of delays by Microsoft of Windows product releases, competition and intellectual property risks. A more detailed description of certain factors that could affect actual results include, but are not limited to, those discussed in BSQUARE's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q Form 10-Q See 10-Q. , in the section entitled "Risk Factors." Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. BSQUARE undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to reflect new information, events or circumstances after the date of this release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. |
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