LinuxDevices.com recently contacted Red Flag Software to learn about the company's embedded Linux business activities in China. We received replies to our questions from Danny Huang, Vice President and General Manager of Red Flag's “Embedded Product Division,” and are pleased to share the following short interview with the Embedded Linux community . . .

Question: What role does the embedded market play in Red Flag's business strategy? How important is it?

Answer: Currently between one-fourth and one-third of Red Flag's revenue is from Embedded business. Red Flag sees Embedded as a promising market; however, we do not expect to make a lot of money from this business in the immediate future. We intend to keep investing in Embedded business.

Question: What types of embedded products, technologies, and services does Red Flag offer?

Answer: We currently have the following products and technologies:

• Embedded Linux kernel — for ARM and embedded PC platforms
• Embedded Linux drivers
• Embedded GUI — Trolltech's Qt/Embedded
• Internet appliance (IA) device applications — including set-top boxes, PDAs, DVR, and e-books
• Industrial applications — including industrial control, lottery machines, etc.
• Embedded development tools
• Various embedded services — including porting, system integration, customization, and application development

Question: Who are some of Red Flag's customers in the embedded market, and what are some of your company's “embedded” successes?

Answer: Red Flag's customers are embedded PC and Internet appliance manufacturers. Some of Red Flag's mass production design wins include PDAs, e-books, lottery machines, a high-speed bill printer for China Telecom, a subway control system in Shenzhen, and a number of industrial control devices.

Question: What types of embedded applications or devices is Linux best suited to within China?

Answer: Set-top boxes, smartphones, firewalls/routers/gateways, and industrial control equipment.

Question: Who are Red Flag's main embedded Linux competitors in China?

Answer: There are several companies who provide embedded Linux products and services, including CS&S, CCOSS, Huahen, and China Mobile Soft. Of these, China Mobile Soft is the only one who can compete us in the Smartphone market. The others are dying.

Question: What third-party alliances does Red Flag have with other Linux or open source software vendors?

Answer: We have been strategic partners of ARM, Intel, Trolltech, and Opera for two years.

Question: Are there any embedded Linux alliances in China, similar to the Embedded Linux Consortium, EMBLIX (Japanese Embedded Linux Consortium), or the recently announced CELF (Consumer Electronics Linux Forum)?

Answer: Unfortunately there are not any active embedded Linux alliances in China. If there is interest in such alliances in the China market, Red Flag would be very interested in the possibility of cooperation.

Thank you very much!

 
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