Here is the WIND relevant part of the "Internet appliance" report
iword.com
(Note that VxWorks is the default OS for NCI set-top boxes).
"We believe that there are currently two major players in the set-top box market: Microsoft/WebTV and NCI. NCI first entered the digital set-top box market when its software platform was incorporated into the NetChannel Internet-TV service that was discontinued in 1997; later the company was acquired by AOL.
As major cable operators (MSOs) have begun to roll out Internet service through digital set-top boxes, these two software platforms have emerged as direct competitors. In January 1998, Microsoft announced that its Windows CE operating system would be included in set-top boxes being distributed by Tele-Communications, Inc. (TCI) in late 1999. Microsoft also announced a co-branded WebTV/EchoStar satellite service in January 1999. NCI has had recent big contract wins from major international cable operators including Cable & Wireless (United Kingdom), NTL Incorporated (United Kingdom), TeleWest (United Kingdom) and NEC BigGlobe (Japan). Many of the remaining major U.S. and international cable network operators, however, have yet to select a software platform for their deployment of enhanced television services.
While both Microsoft and NCI have developed products that address the cable set-top box market, we believe that NCI is better positioned to benefit from the demand for enhanced television software platforms and applications because its products are based on open standards and allow greater customization and branding by the network operator (see Exhibit 19). NCI hopes to leverage its success abroad to winning over U.S. network operators like USWest, which recently announced it would partner with NCI to offer its subscribers an integrated telephony, Internet, television service called @TV. Other big U.S. wins could go a long way in establishing NCI as a serious competitor to Microsoft in this category of Internet appliance software.
In addition, NCI hoped to leverage its successes in providing a platform solution for network operators in the netTV space into developing platform solutions for other categories of Internet appliances, including NC clients, Internet gaming consoles, Internet screenphones, PDAs, and smart phones. NCI hopes to continue to develop platform solutions that will enable both appliance manufacturers and service providers to incorporate Internet connectivity and functionality into many categories of Internet appliances. To date, NCI has partnered with Wind River Systems in the embedded systems space and IBM in the enterprise NC client space. In addition, Fujitsu recently announced that it would incorporate NCI software in its Internet smart handheld devices"
Regards
JC.
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