[Updated 5:45pm PDT] — MontaVista Software issued a statement today “strongly endorsing” the new initiative announced yesterday by the CE Linux Forum (CELF), noting that its own consumer electronics (CE) implementation of embedded Linux was target=”new”>released earlier this year. MontaVista said it plans to “support standards developed by CELF” and that it “believes its customers will benefit from having products that are in alignment with future specifications recommended by CELF,” the statement said.

“We strongly support CELF in its drive toward developing and implementing standards for the use of Linux in digital consumer products,” said MontaVista CEO Jim Ready.

“It is wonderful that the world's leading suppliers of such devices have recognized the role of Linux in this market and are working together in the cooperative spirit epitomized by the Open Source community,” Ready added. “Consumer electronics products have evolved into complex, multi-function, networked devices, requiring a robust and flexible operating system such as Linux. MontaVista Software supports CELF in advancing the use of Linux to speed technology to market, reduce development costs and ultimately costs to the consumer.”

In its announcement, MontaVista asserted that its existing consumer electronics oriented Linux product, MontaVista Linux Consumer Electronics Edition (CEE) 3.0. CEE, represents “the first quality Linux operating system and cross-development environment specifically designed for consumer electronics devices . . . ” that “. . . already addresses many of the requirements outlined by CELF; specifically, reduced boot and shutdown times, improved real-time capabilities, reduced ROM/RAM size requirements and enhanced efficiency of power management.”

MontaVista's statement issued earlier today gave no indication of whether the company plans to become a CELF member, or whether MontaVista intends to contribute CE Linux technology to the project. However, CNET quotes Scott Hedrick, senior product marketing manager for MontaVista's CEE consumer electronics Linux product, as saying: “We absolutely plan to apply for membership.” MontaVista has joined other such initiatives in the past, such as the Open Source Development Lab (OSDL) which is developing specifications and reference implementations for Carrier Grade Linux.

 
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