Instant sharing and collaboration software vendor Pepper says it chose MontaVista Software's embedded Linux OS for its “Pepper Pad” reference design for mobile WiFi pads. The Pepper Pad is meant to be “the ultimate platform” for the Pepper Keeper Software Suite, which includes IM, browsing, photo album, media collection, and… other sharing and collaboration tools.

Pepper Pad reference design
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The Pepper Pad design and Pepper Keeper Software together comprise the Pepper Keeper Wi-Fi Suite, which became available Dec. 17, 2003 for OEM and partner licening. The Suite targets online service providers, digital content providers, hardware manufacturers, and other commercial partners. Pepper claims the Suite will help manufacturers accelerate time to market, reduce design and development costs, and earn a share of net revenue on add-on software sales to consumers.

According to Pepper, the Pepper Suite enables consumers to create, collect, organize, and share “Pepper Photo Albums, Scrapbooks, Greeting Cards and Journals, via instant messaging (IM) or e-mail, among Windows and Macintosh computers and the Linux-based Wi-Fi Pads.”

MontaVista calls its Linux Professional Edition “an industry-leading embedded operating system and a powerful cross development environment” featuring “real-time functionality, multi-process capabilities, and multi-threaded remote debugging, with extensive bundled software components including rich networking.”

Pepper Pad reference design

Pat McGowan, Pepper's VP of engineering, says “With Pepper Keeper software, MontaVista Linux and Java, we can help our customers leverage a wealth of new exciting Wi-Fi applications and deliver them to consumers.”

“Pepper Computer has developed a creative application of popular Wi-Fi technology that will be very well received by consumers,” noted MontaVista product marketing manager Jacob Lehrbaum. “MontaVista Linux has been widely adopted for wireless solutions because of its industry-leading networking capabilities.”

The Pepper Pad is a 2004 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Innovations Awards Honoree in the Computer Hardware category. The Pepper Keeper and Pepper Pad Reference Design will be demonstrated in the Pepper booth #22113, 2nd floor of the South Hall.

 
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