MontaVista's Mobilinux 5.0 Linux distribution for mobile phones won an EDN Magazine 2008 “Innovation Award” under the software category. The award for “Innovator of the Year,” meanwhile, went to Intel's 45nm semiconductor process technology team.

(Click for larger view of the Mobilinux-based Motorola RAZR2 V8)

The EDN Innovation Awards honor significant people, products, and technologies that have shaped the semiconductor industry over the past year, says EDN. Based on MontaVista Linux Professional Edition, Mobilinux was released last year in version 5.0, and powers “90 percent of Linux smartphones,” according to MontaVista.

In February, MontaVista announced that Mobilinux was a finalist in EDN's software category along with National Instruments Labview 8.5, and Microchip Technology's Graphics Library. Mobilinux also beat out Microsoft's recently renamed Robotics Studio platform, currently available in a free public beta.

Intel's 45nm process innovation team beat out Innovator of the Year finalists Stream Processors and Linear Technologies. The 45nm technology, which is used in Intel's new Atom processors, uses new materials that reduce transistor leakage while increasing performance.

Meanwhile, in the development kit category, TI's tiny eZ430-RF2500 ultra-low-power RF development kit, based on a 16-bit microcontroller, edged out the Linux-friendly Xilinx EDK 9.2 and the Altera Nios II kits.

Stated Jim Ready, CTO and founder of MontaVista Software. “We are pleased for the recognition of the 'innovation' and the 'significant advance' that Mobilinux 5.0 has delivered to mobile device designers and their customers.”

More information on the contest and a full list of winners may be found here.

 
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