Sony Gets Good Feedback on Linux from Engineers
May 30, 2003 (TOKYO) -- "Software assets can be shared more easily than was expected, and the kernel can be adapted and improved speedily. The response to our embedded Linux from engineers working on the ground has been mostly very encouraging," said Mario Tokoro, corporate executive vice president and Electronics co-CTO.
Mario Tokoro, corporate executive VP and Electronics co-CTO
Tokoro made a keynote speech at "LinuxWorld Expo/Tokyo 2003," which was held at the Tokyo Big Site expo center during May 21-23, 2003.
According to Tokoro, Sony's embedded Linux software is already at a stage where manufacturers of home servers and PDAs are praising it for its ease of use. Sony is using Linux as the operating system in its HDD recorder "CSV-E77," saying that most of the technical problems relating to embedding it in electronics devices have been overcome. It can now handle real-time processing, requires less power, and takes less time to boot up.
Tokoro pointed out two main issues in using embedded Linux to control digital home appliances. The first is an issue of patents and intellectual property. Namely, the chances are high that the manufacturer would be held legally responsible if a third party were to sue for patent infringement even if the Linux source code was provided to the maker by a software vendor on the GNU General Public License (GPL) basis. This is because in principle no guarantees are provided when supplying GPL-based source code.
The second issue lies in relationships with the development community for Linux kernels and libraries. In order to equip embedded Linux with the functions that are necessary for consumer products, the wider development community will have to help. Sony says it wants to contribute positively to that community by sharing in the GPL spirit and making publicly available any software it develops in-house.
There is a reason why Sony is promoting embedded Linux. Tokoro explained that by 2006 the market for digital home appliances will grow to an annual one trillion yen industry, and in order to stay ahead of the competition the firm wants as many software engineers as possible to be able to develop application software. To that end, adopting Linux as the OS for home appliances will mean that anyone will be able to use it to write applications.
Sony, which at the end of 2002 announced a joint development tie up with Matsushita Electric Industrial Co, Ltd, involving Linux for digital home appliances, is calling for the formation of a Linux industry forum that will also involve other consumer electronics manufacturers.
Related stories:
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- SONY: Striving to Become World's Leading Entertainment Firm
- Sony Demos Portable File Server with 'Access Point' Function
- Battle for Dominance in Digital Consumer Electronics Market Intensifies
- Sony to Launch Ethernet-Equipped Hard Disk Drive Video Recorder
(Hirotaka Ito, Staff Editor, Nikkei Electronics)
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