WIND--ANT Demonstrates Fresco(R) Browser on IBM's New Set-Top Box Chips; ANT's Browser Technology Vastly Reduces Porting Time and Costs
PR NEWSWIRE - April 11, 2000 08:31
LAS VEGAS, Apr 11, 2000 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- ANT Limited, embedded communication software provider, announced today that it has ported its advanced Fresco(R) Browser software to IBM's (NYSE: IBM) newly announced "system on a chip" solution, which delivers computing power to television set-top boxes (STBs). Since IBM's announcement on March 24, 2000, ANT demonstrated the ease of portability of its browser technology by providing code to IBM for porting to the new chip. As a result, just several weeks later, IBM is able to demonstrate the ANT browser running on its latest STB integrated chip at the National Association of Broadcasters show in Las Vegas this week.
"We believe our new set-top-box chip can help customers build products that are capable of delivering a host of new services," said John Sixsmith, IBM marketing manager for set-top chips. "The introduction of these services is likely to accelerate with the advent of software products like ANT's new browser. We were pleased to work with ANT on what proved to be a quick and easy port of their browser to our platform."
ANT's robust browser technology is designed for embedded communication devices such as digital set-top boxes, Internet television, mobile phones, PDAs, games consoles, household appliances and in-vehicle information systems. It has a fully customizable user interface and requires minimal memory, making it ideal for the latest generation of consumer and Internet products, which have limited memory resources.
"We were very pleased with how quickly and smoothly this porting proceeded," said Simon Woodward, CEO and president, ANT Limited. This is a testimonial both to the portability of our Fresco Browser and to the robust device drivers in IBM's set-top box chip architecture. In addition, our browser enables IBM customers to customize the user interface, providing them with control over the look and feel of their own brand."
Internet access through the television is a growing trend, as is Internet access through a variety of other consumer products, including mobile phones and games consoles. ANT partners with OEMs and integration partners to bring Internet connectivity to the consumer, through any appliance, from anywhere.
The operating system used in this design was pSOS+ by Wind River Systems Inc.
About ANT Limited
ANT Limited (www.ant.co.uk) develops and markets embedded communication appliance software for use in consumer electronics, Internet appliances and eCommerce products. Core technology includes the ANT Fresco(R) Browser and the ANT SimplEmail(R) email client, which are both written in ANSI C for platform independence and high performance, and designed to meet the needs of Internet appliances and other networked products. The Fresco(R) Browser gives original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of Internet devices, and the technology partners that supply them, three significant advantages: far greater speed to market, reduced engineering costs, and freedom to leverage corporate identity. The company's current licensing partners include: Analog Devices, Pace Micro Technology, Sagem and Symbian. ANT Limited, 20 Cambridge Place, Cambridge UK, CB2 1NS. Tel +44 (0) 1223 716400 Fax +44 (0) 1223 716401.
Fresco and SimplEmail are registered trademarks of ANT Limited. All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
SOURCE ANT Limited |
