Wind River Launches Multicore Device Software Initiative to Proliferate Adoption of Multiprocessing in Devices

ALAMEDA, Calif., March 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Wind River Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: WIND), the global leader in Device Software Optimization (DSO), today announced the launch of a strategic initiative to drive standardization and widespread adoption of multicore architecture and solutions in the device market. Wind River's Multicore Processing (MCP) initiative combines the company's thought leadership in standards and open source organizations with the delivery, deployment and global support of innovative software, and integration with leading semiconductor technologies. A critical element of Wind River's DSO strategy, this initiative is targeted at providing device manufacturers with the software solutions they need to build devices that can leverage the performance benefits of multicore hardware components. In order to bring this strategy to market, Wind River continues to work closely with leading technology companies including ARM, Broadcom and Freescale.

Multicore processor designs combine two or more independent processor cores into a single unit, often on one integrated circuit. With today's exponential advances in processor speed and traditional single-core processor designs reaching their limits, intense competition is pushing manufacturers to use multicore designs in order to continue delivering exponential performance improvements. While multiprocessing enables customers to improve performance and scalability, increase efficiency, and lower costs, it also introduces increased levels of complexity. The device industry is therefore facing new obstacles as it attempts to leverage multicore advancements, including more complex software architecture models with inadequate development tools and lack of industry standards.

With over 25 years of experience in the Device Software Optimization market, Wind River is uniquely positioned to unlock the value in multicore processing from a software platform perspective. As such, Wind River is acting as the central point of the industry's movement towards enabling multicore devices to get to market faster, with better quality and enhanced functionality. The Five Key Components of Wind River's Multicore Processing Initiative are: 1) Driving Industry Standardization By Chairing Multiple Standards Bodies Wind River is the only company to have a board member on both the Multicore Association and Eclipse.org. Wind River's thought leadership is linking the development and run-time requirements of multicore devices through the Device Software Development Platform project at Eclipse, and the Multicore Association Debug API. Standardization across the entire DSO life-cycle ensures that device manufacturers have flexibility and choice for their software platform needs. Wind River also works with various other industry standards groups including the TIPC Consortium, OSDL Mobile Linux Initiative and Kernel.org. 2) Enabling Rapid Device Prototyping and Debugging Through Multicore Optimized Development Tools

Multicore based devices offer many advantages over single core devices, but are inherently more complex. As a result, software optimization for multicore devices requires a different design center with regards to application interaction, performance and concurrency. As device manufacturers implement their initial multicore designs, optimized tools can reduce time spent in prototyping and debugging, enabling faster time to market. Wind River's Eclipse-based Workbench development suite provides advanced multicore development and debugging capabilities while supporting both heterogeneous operating systems and/or heterogeneous processor architectures. In addition, Wind River's Workbench Diagnostics, a dynamic debugging tool, is designed to pinpoint time consuming, extremely hard to find multiprocessing problems like race-conditions. 3) Delivering Run-Time Optimization With Choice in Operating Environments and Deployment Options

Several strategies exist regarding the class and type of the operating system for a multicore processing-based device. Device application and usage may call for different design decisions to best allocate and manage system resources such as processors, memory and peripherals. Wind River provides a robust, flexible choice in operating environments supporting SMP, AMP and Virtualized Operating System options based upon both Linux and VxWorks. By delivering an RTOS-based platform and a Linux-based platform, Wind River enables device manufacturers to feel confident about their vendor selection and risk mitigation as their device design evolves over time and may require a different operating system technology. 4) Providing an Open, Integrated Multicore and Multiprocessing Partner Ecosystem

As the leading Device Software Optimization advocate for multicore device designs, Wind River collaborates with semiconductor vendors, including Broadcom and Freescale, on market-specific platforms to support the latest and most widely used architectures and processors. These partnerships provide integrated reference designs, COTS boards, and board support packages, in particular for the emerging multicore processors. Additionally, Wind River has developed an ecosystem of software partners, including ALT Software, Datalight, IP Infusion, Kuka Controls, Solid Information Technology and Tilcon that extend the capability of these market-specific platforms. Wind River's Partner ecosystem enables device manufacturers the ability to select a multicore hardware platform vendor and rest easy knowing that Wind River software platforms will be available. 5) Speeding Time to Market Via Direct Access to Multiprocessing Experts via Global Services and Support

Customers have access to Wind River's team of engineers with experience delivering design, integration, and optimization services tailored to the needs of multiprocessing applications. These experts act as a resource to extend the customer's own engineering team's capabilities. Additionally, Wind River offers education and training courses on all of its platforms so customers have access to a myriad of support channels as needed. Wind River's multicore customer enabling services provide customers with a proven, trusted partner for reducing risk and increasing the likelihood of meeting design schedules.

"One of the biggest obstacles to widespread multicore technology adoption in the device industry is the lack of a software ecosystem that is optimized to support the advantages from this next-generation of processors," said John Bruggeman, Chief Marketing Officer, Wind River. "Wind River is stepping up to address all of the complexities device manufacturers are now encountering in today's hyper-competitive environment, as they move to adopt this transformative technology. We are committed to leading standards bodies and providing standards-based technologies to ensure the choice, flexibly and ease-of-use that will ultimately enable the widespread adoption of multicore." About Wind River

Wind River is the global leader in device software optimization (DSO). Wind River enables companies to develop and run device software faster, better, at lower cost and more reliably. Wind River platforms are pre- integrated, fully standardized enterprise-wide development solutions. They reduce effort, cost and risk and optimize quality and reliability at all phases of the device software development process from concept to deployed product.

Founded in 1981, Wind River is headquartered in Alameda, California, with operations worldwide. To learn more, visit Wind River at http://www.windriver.com or call 800-872-4977. Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement

The Wind River logo is a trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc., and Wind River and VxWorks are registered trademarks of Wind River Systems, Inc. Other marks used herein are the property of the respective owners.