Insignia, Lineo, Opera and Trolltech combine to create Embedix Plus for Smart Handheld Devices
San Francisco, CA – June 4, 2001
JavaOne Lineo, Inc. a leading innovator in embedded systems, real-time and high availability solutions, today announced it has created a new open standards platform based on Java and Linux with several key partners including Insignia Solutions (Nasdaq: INSG), Trolltech AS and Opera Software ASA. The new software platform, Embedix Plus for Smart Handheld Devices, will incorporate Lineo Embedix SDK, Insignia Jeode Java Virtual Machine technologies, TrolltechQt/Embedded graphical user interface and the Opera 5 for Linux Web browser. The platform has been developed to provide manufacturers with a complete solution to more quickly produce smart handheld devices, PDAs and other information appliances.
“IDC forecasts show the embedded and handheld operating environment marketgrowing at well over 30 percent per year through 2005, with a lot of thatgrowth coming from devices having form factors that can leverageinfrastructure services like a JVM and a browser,” said Al Gillen, researchmanager, system software, IDC. “Integrating these services into a Linuxembedded operating environment makes good sense for many applications.”
Lineo Embedix SDK is a powerful development environment for configuring,customizing and deploying embedded Linux software solutions. Embedix SDK isideal for creating a flexible and reliable embedded software solutionoptimized for a small footprint while minimizing development costs andreducing time-to-market.
“Lineo and our partners have chosen to collaborate to provide customerswith the best technology available, based on open standards, for theirInternet-enabled devices,” said Bryan Sparks, CEO, Lineo, Inc. “Providingusers with a Linux and Java-based platform will open their devices to awide range of applications and services. Our aim is to provide devicemanufacturers with a single place to go for jump starting their embeddeddevelopment, saving developers valuable time and effort.”
The Insignia Jeode platform is the premier choice for deploying Javatechnology in information appliances. It provides Sun-authorized Javacompatibility combined with industry leading accelerated performance androbustness. Jeode technology provides the Lineo software platform withcomplete Java functionality, including the ability to view Java applets,such as real-time stock tickers; play Java-based games; and run Java-basedenterprise applications, such as sales force automation and order entry. Italso enables device manufacturers to leverage other key benefits of Javatechnology, including:
- Access to thousands of available third-party Java-based applications that can be incorporated to smart handhelds, PDAs and other information appliances
- Cross-platform support that allows manufacturers to maintain their investment in Java-based software applications even if the underlying hardware architecture changes in future product versions
“We’re pleased that Lineo has selected Jeode technology to provide the Javafunctionality for its new software platform for PDAs, handheld devices andother types of information appliances,” said Richard Noling, president andCEO of Insignia Solutions. “We’ve found that information appliancedevelopers are very interested in the Linux-Java combination. Lineo’sinitiative in offering an integrated, open standards software solutionshould be very appealing to OEM developers who are seeking to work with asingle source to get their products to market as quickly as possible.”Trolltech helps integrate Java into this platform by providing Qt AWT,which marries the JVM and the native windowing system, Qt/Embedded.Qt/Embedded, along with Qt AWT, helps provide three main benefits todeveloping the graphical user interface: resource efficiency; Javastandards compliance; and customizable look and feel.
Qt/Embedded is the GUI application framework and windowing system that isbased on Qt, a C++ cross platform framework. It combines small size, richfunctionality, and the ability to quickly develop, debug, and build code infamiliar environments.
“Developers and hardware manufacturers need an embedded platform that’s well-defined and stable,” said Haavard Nord, Trolltech’s CEO. “The combination of Embedix, Jeode, Qt/Embedded, and Opera is the first offering that provides both of these essential characteristics.”
In most cases, embedded Internet devices are also memory-constrained, andthe platforms and applications that run on them have to be scaled to fitthe device. Opera is the ideal Web browser choice for the embedded market,based on its characteristics of being small, fast, configurable, whilestill full-featured. The unique cross-platform core enables the browser tobe easily ported to other emerging platforms, and simplifies overallmaintenance.
“The embedded market is still in its infancy, and it is strong partnershipslike this one that will provide the solutions that will make embedded Linuxa real alternative,” said Jon S. von Tetzchner, CEO, Opera Software. “Bycombining the best tools available for the platform, Lineo will increasetheir technological lead in the embedded Linux market.”
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About Lineo, Inc.
Lineo, Inc. provides embedded systems, real time and high availabilitysolutions that include software, hardware reference designs andprofessional services. Lineo’s solutions allow OEMs to create devices andsystems that interact with the Internet while helping OEMs to reduce systemrequirements, per-unit costs and time-to-market. The company’s key productlines include: Embedix (embedded Linux system software), uClinux (embedded Linux for MMU-less processors), SecureEdge (Linux-based Internetappliances for secure networking), RTXC (general purpose and DSP real-timeoperating system), BeaconSuite (x86 development toolkit) and Availix(mission-critical high availability Linux cluster solutions). Contact Lineoat www.lineo.com, via e-mail to info@lineo.com, or by calling (801) 426-5001.
About Insignia Solutions
Insignia Solutions Insignia Solutions is the leading provider ofaccelerated Java technology-based solutions that dynamically optimize theuse of available system resources. The Jeode Application Environment isInsignia’s accelerated implementation of Sun Microsystems PersonalJava andEmbeddedJava specifications tailored for information appliances. At thecore of the Jeode Application Environment is the ‘Sun Authorized VirtualMachine’, the Jeode Embedded Virtual Machine (EVM), an accelerated runtimeengine that delivers an optimal balance of performance and reliability in asmaller memory footprint. Using a proprietary technique called dynamicadaptive compilation, the Jeode EVM can execute Java applications onaverage six times faster than interpretive VMs.
About Trolltech
Trolltech is the creator of Qt, a C++ cross-platform fully object-orientedapplication framework that enables rapid building of state-of-the-art GUIapplications for Microsoft Windows, Unix and multiple embedded Linuxplatforms. Qt has formed the basis of many successful commercialapplications worldwide, and was used to develop the open source, KDE Linuxdesktop environment. Trolltech is headquartered in Oslo, Norway, withoffices in Brisbane, Australia, and Santa Clara, California. More aboutTrolltech can be found on the World Wide Web at www.trolltech.com.
About Opera Software
Opera Software ASA is an industry leader in the development of Web browsersfor the desktop and device markets. The Opera browser has receivedinternational recognition from end-users and the industry press for beingfaster, smaller and more standards-compliant than other browsers. OperaSoftware ASA is a privately held company headquartered in Oslo, Norway. Learnmore about Opera at www.opera.com.
Lineo and Embedix are trademarks of Lineo, Inc. Linux is a registeredtrademark owned by Linus Torvalds. Insignia and Jeode are trademarks ofInsignia Solutions. Trolltech and Qt/Embedded are trademarks of TrolltechAS. Opera is a trademark of Opera Software ASA. All other products,services, companies and publications are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of their respective owners.
Contacts
Lineo, Inc.
Blake Stowell
Tel: (801) 426-5001 ext.321
E-mail: blake.stowell@lineo.com
Insignia Solutions
Gary Katz
Tel: (510) 360-3820
E-mail: gary.katz@insignia.com
Trolltech A/S
Aron Kozak
Tel: (408) 219-6303
E-Mail: aron@trolltech.com