Tensilica and MontaVista Software Partner to Create First Embedded Linux Operating System for a Configurable Processor.Business Editors/High-Tech WritersSANTA CLARA Santa Clara, city, Cuba Santa Clara (sän`tä klä`rä), city (1994 est. pop. 217,000), capital of Villa Clara prov., central Cuba. and SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sept. 4, 2001 Companies Establish Technical and Marketing Alliance In a joint announcement, MontaVista Software MontaVista Software develops systems software, development tools and Embedded Linux-based software targeting embedded systems such as automotive electronics, communications equipment, and television set-top boxes and other connected devices and infrastructure. Inc., the company powering the embedded revolution and Tensilica, the leading supplier of configurable processor cores for embedded systems Embedded systems Computer systems that cannot be programmed by the user because they are preprogrammed for a specific task and are buried within the equipment they serve. , today disclosed a wide-reaching technical and marketing agreement. The pact leads to the porting of MontaVista Software's Hard Hat(TM) Linux(R), one of the most widely used embedded Linux The Linux operating system configured and enhanced to work in a wide variety of applications, including handheld devices, network appliances, industrial machines and consumer electronics devices. The modularity of the Linux kernel makes it well suited to embedded systems. products to Tensilica's Xtensa(R) processor architecture. The combination of Hard Hat Linux with the Xtensa architecture will enable development of a broad range of communications and consumer products previously built with proprietary controllers or rigid processors, to exploit the incredible flexibility of Tensilica's configurable processor core. For the first time SOC developers will be able to harness the enormous array of Linux application software on an application-optimized processor. Utilizing Tensilica's OSKit(TM) technology, Hard Hat Linux will be automatically updated to fully support all possible configurations that meet or exceed the minimum requirements. This will enable Hard Hat Linux to run "out of the box" on the customized configurations. This is a good move for both companies," said Jerry Krasner, Ph.D., Executive Director of CMP's Electronics Markets Forecasters. "It's a big win for MontaVista Software in that it will augment and accelerate the diffusion of Hard Hat Linux in the embedded space. And for Tensilica, adding a Linux port to the other supported RTOSs will make Xtensa an even more attractive option to embedded systems designers." "We are committed to providing best-of-breed software foundations to our customers," said Tensilica's president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. , Chris Rowen row·en n. New England A second crop, as of hay, in a season. [Middle English rowein, from Anglo-Norman rewain, variant of Old French regain : re-, re- + . "MontaVista's Hard Hat Linux is the perfect marriage of the true industrial-strength Linux operating system operating system (OS) Software that controls the operation of a computer, directs the input and output of data, keeps track of files, and controls the processing of computer programs. with optimized embedded support. Few other embedded processor architectures, fixed or configurable, can match our new advanced memory management capabilities for robust software environments like Linux. We welcome MontaVista to our Xtensions(TM) Network, and anticipate close collaboration in the proliferation of Linux across the full spectrum of communications and consumer applications." "As the company powering the embedded revolution, we target the most advanced products such as Tensilica's configurable architecture," said Jim Ready, CEO and President, MontaVista Software. "Together, Xtensa technology and Hard Hat Linux bring a scalable, robust and flexible platform to embedded developers, allowing them to reduce their time to market and total costs." The Xtensa processor is targeted at high volume applications including datacom and telecom protocol processing, digital cameras, set top boxes, office automation products, wireless communications devices, and a spectrum of other consumer electronic products. Announced licensees of the Xtensa processor include Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Conexant Systems, Fujitsu Limited, Hughes Network Systems Hughes Network Systems, LLC (HNS), is a provider of broadband satellite network products for businesses and consumers. HNS pioneered the development of high-speed satellite Internet access services and IP-based networks with its original DirecPC service but which it now markets , JNI (Java Native Interface) A programming interface (API) in Sun's Java Virtual Machine used for calling native platform elements such as GUI routines. RNI (Raw Native Interface) is the JNI counterpart in Microsoft's Java Virtual Machine. JNI - Java Native Interface Corporation , Marvell (Galileo Technology), Mindspeed Technologies, National Semiconductor, NEC (NEC Corporation, Tokyo, www.nec.com, www.necus.com) An electronics conglomerate known in the U.S. for its monitors. In Japan, it had the lion's share of the PC market until the late 1990s (see PC 98). NEC was founded in Tokyo in 1899 as Nippon Electric Company, Ltd. Corporation, NTT NTT Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation NTT New Technology Telescope NTT National Technology Transfer, Inc NTT Name That Tune (TV game show) NTT National Tree Trust NTT Number Theoretic Transform , ONEX Communications TranSwitch and Zilog. Availability MontaVista Software Hard Hat Linux support for Tensilica's Xtensa processor architecture will be available in second quarter 2002. It will be included in Hard Hat Linux Professional Edition, which is available by product subscription. About Hard Hat Linux 2.0 Professional Edition Hard Hat Linux 2.0 Professional Edition boasts unrivaled development support for the broadest range of embedded processor architectures, with more than 480 fully tested and supported host-target combinations. The feature-rich product enables development and deployment for a wide variety of embedded applications, providing a standard platform for designs in communications infrastructure, networking, consumer electronics, instrumentation and control. About MontaVista Software Inc. MontaVista Software Inc. is a leading provider of open-source systems software solutions for embedded developers. Founded in 1999 by real-time operating system (operating system) Real-Time Operating System - (RTOS) Any operating system where interrupts are guaranteed to be handled within a certain specified maximum time, thereby making it suitable for control of hardware in embedded systems and other time-critical applications. pioneer James Ready, MontaVista's principal offerings are the cross development tools and operating system tailored for embedded developers. MontaVista products include Hard Hat Linux, a Linux-based embedded source and binary distribution, development platform and tool kits for x86/IA-32, PowerPC, StrongARM, MIPS (Million Instructions Per Second) The execution speed of a computer. For example, .5 MIPS is 500,000 instructions per second; 100 MIPS is a hundred million instructions per second. , SH, ARM, and other microprocessor architectures. MontaVista offers developers a family of products and services for embedded design targeted for applications ranging from communications infrastructure to thin-client and edge applications. MontaVista Software also makes available valuable technology add-on packages that address specific customer requirements such as the Java development environment, High Availability technology, GUI (Graphical User Interface) A graphics-based user interface that incorporates movable windows, icons and a mouse. The ability to resize application windows and change style and size of fonts are the significant advantages of a GUI vs. a character-based interface. toolkit and more. Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley in Sunnyvale, Calif., MontaVista Software is a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. funded by leading investors such Alloy Ventures, US Venture Partners, RRE RRE Red Rock Eater (News Service) RRE Road Race Engineering RRE Remote Roof Easy RRE Residential Real Estate RRE Rise-And-Run-Length Encoding RRE Royal Radar Establishment (Great Britain) Ventures, WR Hambrecht + Co WR Hambrecht + Co. is a full service investment bank with headquarters in New York and San Francisco. It specializes in using its unique auction process called OpenIPO to compete with the traditional methods of larger and more established banks. ., and Intel Capital. For more information about MontaVista, please visit http://www.mvista.com or call 408/328-9200. About Tensilica Tensilica was founded in July 1997 to address the fast-growing market for configurable and extensible microprocessor cores and associated software development tools for high volume, embedded systems. Using the company's proprietary Xtensa Processor Generator, system-on-chip (SOC) designers can develop a processor subsystem hardware design and a complete software development tool environment tailored to their specific requirements in hours. Tensilica's solutions provide a proven, easy-to-use, methodology that enables designers to achieve optimum application performance in minimum design time. The Company has over 140 engineers engaged in research, development, and customer support from its offices in Santa Clara, California Santa Clara, California (IPA: /ˌsæntəˈklærə/) , founded in 1777 and incorporated in 1852, is a city in Santa Clara County, in the U.S. state of California. ; Burlington, Massachusetts; Princeton, NJ; Houston, Texas; Oxford, U.K.; Stockholm, Sweden; Taipei, Taiwan R.O.C.; and Yokohama, Japan. Tensilica is headquartered in Santa Clara, California (95054) at 3255-6 Scott Boulevard, and can be reached at 408/986-8000 or via www.tensilica.com. Editors Notes: -- Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Hard Hat is a trademark of MontaVista Software Inc. "Tensilica" and "Xtensa" are registered trademarks, and "OSKit" and "Xtensions" are trademarks belonging to Tensilica Inc. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective companies. -- Tensilica's announced licensees are Berkeley Wireless Research Center, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Conexant Systems, Fujitsu Ltd., Hughes Network Systems, Ikanos Communications, JNI Corporation, Marvell (Galileo Technology), Mindspeed Technologies, National Semiconductor, NEC Networks, NEC Solutions, Nippon Telephone and Telegraph (NTT), ONEXCommunications, Osaka & Kyoto Universities, TranSwitch Corporation and ZiLOG. |
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