SUNNYVALE, Calif. — (company press release) — MontaVista Software Inc., developer of the Hard Hat Linux operating system for embedded applications, today announces the version 1.0 release of the company's Hard Hat Linux distribution.

Hard Hat Linux, based entirely on the standard Linux kernel and open-source components and royalty-free, is optimized for embedded applications, including communications infrastructure and Internet appliances. MontaVista will demonstrate Hard Hat Linux 1.0 at the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo from Feb. 1-4, 2000 in New York City.

MontaVista Software president and CEO Jim Ready, the originator of VRTX, the first viable commercial embedded operating system, comments, “In the past, proprietary embedded kernels were touted for their supposedly unique ability to address embedded systems needs. Today we see Linux occupying every niche in the embedded systems space, from 'deeply embedded' resource-limited systems to well-outfitted high-end CompactPCI-based designs, without the need for proprietary closed-source, royalty-bearing kernels or extensions.”

The MontaVista business model, based on a royalty-free Linux distribution supplied on an annual subscription basis, addresses customer needs to control COGS (cost of goods sold) in high volume applications. Traditionally, embedded operating systems vendors have collected 'run-time' royalties from their customers, increasing OEM product COGS and narrowing margins.

“Among the many reasons to use Hard Hat Linux as an embedded operating system is business common sense,” adds Brian Grega, vice president of sales and marketing for MontaVista. “MontaVista provides significant value at development time, shortening our customers' time-to-market and without encumbering the end product with burdensome royalties.”

Hard Hat Linux brings developers an impressive array of embedded systems features and capabilities, including scalable memory footprint down to 0.5 megabytes, embedded operation (no console, no disk), flash ROM memory boot and file system, support for high-integration processors and accompanying peripherals. Hard Hat Linux targets x86/Pentium CPUs from Intel and PowerPC microprocessors from Motorola and IBM, offering board support for COTS (Commercial Off-The-Shelf) and custom embedded systems hardware.

Hard Hat Linux offers communications applications developers a “CompactPCI advantage” with tailored board support for system and I/O cards from Force Computers, Inc., Motorola Computer Group, and Ziatech Corp.; CompactPCI back-plane networking with MontaVista Hard Hat Net; support for PICMG Hot Swap; partner solutions for telecommunications protocols such as ATM and SS7; and a High-availability Framework (available later this year). Hard Hat Linux also supports an extensive “Internet appliance toolkit” with fast, robust IP networking, and embeddable GoAhead and Apache Web servers.

“Hard Hat Linux coupled with GoAhead WebServer makes a powerful software package for developers of mission-critical embedded systems,” says Jim Airy, vice president of marketing at GoAhead Software. “In addition to the real-time, small footprint features of Hard Hat Linux, developers get the benefits of GoAhead's open-source embedded Web server to remotely access and control their systems.”

In addition to supplying the Hard Hat Linux kernel and facilities for embedding on target hardware, MontaVista also offers an array of cross and native embedded Linux development tools, including C and C++ compilers, application and kernel debuggers, and configuration/scaling tools for the Linux kernel. The MontaVista Hard Hat development kits leverage the powerful working environments available on Linux workstations to target embedded Pentium and PowerPC microprocessor Linux applications.

Availability

The Hard Hat Linux version 1.0 is available immediately for Intel x86/Pentium and Motorola PowerPC microprocessors in CompactPCI, PC/104, and other industrial computing form factors, as well as for customer-specific hardware platforms. Hard Hat Linux is available through MontaVista hardware partners and directly from MontaVista together with Hard Hat Linux professional services subscriptions. Hard Hat Linux will be demonstrated at MontaVista's booth No. 165/167 from Feb. 1-4, 2000 at the LinuxWorld Conference & Expo, Jacob Javits Center, New York City.

For more information about Hard Hat Linux and MontaVista Software Inc., please call 408/328-9213 or visit the MontaVista Web site: www.mvista.com.

About MontaVista Software

MontaVista Software Inc., founded in 1999 by real-time operating system pioneer James Ready, delivers open-source software solutions for the worldwide embedded software market. MontaVista's principal offering is the Linux operating system tailored for embedded software applications. MontaVista products include Hard Hat Linux, a standard off-the-shelf binary distribution of Linux for Power PC and x86 architectures.

Hard Hat Linux is supported by a comprehensive tool suite including optimizing compilers for C, C++ and other languages; high-level language debuggers; and performance monitoring tools. The company's Subscription Plans also provide Linux support, porting and customization services to customers worldwide. MontaVista headquarters are in Sunnyvale, Calif., in the heart of the Silicon Valley.

About GoAhead Software, Inc.

GoAhead Software (www.goahead.com) is a leading developer of management software for Internet appliances and devices. The company leverages Internet standards to address the problem of managing devices and appliances from a unique orientation from inside the device or appliance.

GoAhead's solutions enable manufacturers to reduce or eliminate the need for costly and ineffective external management and support by using the intelligence resident in the device or appliance to internally manage faults and upgrades. The privately held company was formed in 1995 and is headquartered in Bellevue, Washington.

 
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