WIND--Wind River Rolls Out Complete Tornado for Internet Appliances Portfolio, Allows Platform Differentiation, More Flexibility
ALAMEDA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 2, 2000--Wind River Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq:WIND - news), a leading provider of software and services for smart devices in the Internet age, today announced beta availability of the complete Tornado® for Internet Appliances product line for developing connected, smart consumer devices. The product line is a first-of-its-kind client/server Java technology-based architecture for development, deployment, and content management of Internet appliances.
``Our customers are tapping into a wide range of Internet appliance developments. They want access to innovative, integrated solutions so they can focus their development resources on their product differentiators. They also want flexibility and options so they can build virtually any kind of smart device,'' said J.C. Sarner, vice president and general manager of Wind River's Consumer business unit. ``As part of our company-wide mission to enable today's smart, connected technology, Wind River will be providing a number of packaged versions of Tornado for Internet Appliances that will suit both the specific and generic development requirements for a range of wired and wireless devices, from web tablets to set-top boxes to PDAs and cell phones.''
Market researcher International Data Corp. (IDC) predicts that TV set-top boxes, handheld computers and game consoles will increase from the 11 million units shipped last year to 89 million units in 2004. Revenue on such products will grow from $2.4 billion last year to $17.8 billion in 2004.
Easing Development, Reducing Time to Market
The complete Tornado for Internet Appliances portfolio includes the IceStorm(TM) Internet Applications Suite, a technology that evolved from Wind River's recent acquisition of Norway's ICESoft (see August 27, 2000 press release). The IceStorm technology is a suite of Java-based embedded Internet applications including an XML 1.0, HTML 4.0, and SSL 2.0 capable Web browser, Email client, and Personal Information Manager (PIM) with user interfaces that are customizable by the OEM.
The Tornado for Internet Appliances portfolio also includes Tornado for Internet Appliances 1.1, Web Tablet Solution. This is an enhanced version of Tornado for Internet Appliances 1.0 that adds even greater capability for in-house developers of web tablets, set-top boxes, kiosks, and similar Internet appliances, aiding them in meeting the design challenges OEMs face everyday. The Web Tablet Solution provides integration of IceStorm Internet Applications Suite 1.0, WindStorm(TM) 1.1 software, the newly announced Personal JWorks(TM) 3.1 implmentation (see September 25, 2000 press release), VxWorks® 5.4 real time operating system, StormPad(TM) hardware reference design, and support for streaming multimedia including Macromedia Flash 4 and MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 (MP3).
The Web Tablet Solution speeds time to market by integrating a comprehensive set of device drivers and connectivity through the Intel® StrongARM(TM) 1110-based StormPad, a complete turnkey wireless hardware reference platform to help visualize development of web tablet and kiosk-type devices. Connectivity options include 802.11B wireless Ethernet, wired Ethernet, a touch screen LCD monitor, infrared capability, and multimedia support. Through an enhanced version of the WindStorm client/server device management framework, the Web Tablet Solution software also provides a Java-based content management framework, turnkey ``plug-ins'', more pre-built code, plus a distributed architecture between the device and the server for deploying and managing resources.
Flexibility, Focus on Product Differentiation
Also available in the portfolio is the Tornado for Internet Appliances 1.1, Applications Kit, a subset of the Web Tablet Solution. The Applications Kit maintains the same integration of core technologies but includes greater architectural flexibility and device differentiation. It is designed to provide the same core benefits of the integrated technology in this portfolio while also expanding OEMs options to use different target platforms. The Applications Kit maintains integration of key Internet appliance technologies VxWorks 5.4, Personal JWorks 3.1, and IceStorm Internet Applications Suite 1.0 while lending itself to a number of additional target architectures including StrongARM-1 and x86. Additional architectures will be made available in future versions.
Tornado for Internet Appliances 1.1, Applications Kit is available in October 2000. Tornado for Internet Appliances 1.1, Web Tablet Solution is available in December 2000.
About Wind River
Wind River, www.windriver.com, is a worldwide leader in embedded software. Wind River provides software development tools, real-time operating systems, and advanced connectivity for use in products throughout the Internet, telecommunications and data communications, digital imaging, digital consumer electronics, networking, medical, computer peripherals, automotive, industrial automation and control, and aerospace/defense markets. Wind River is how smart things think. Founded in 1983, Wind River is headquartered in Alameda, California, with operations in sixteen countries worldwide.
Wind River Systems, the Wind River Systems logo, Tornado, and VxWorks are registered trademarks and ICEStorm and Personal JWorks are trademarks of Wind River Systems, Inc. Other names are registered trademarks or trademarks of the respective companies or organizations. |
