| LynuxWorks' $35M funding spotlights embedded Linux momentum |
Jun. 19, 2000
Last Fall, embedded real-time operating system (RTOS) vendor Lynx Real-Time Systems announced an ambitious strategy to hitch its fortunes to the emerging Linux bandwagon. While continuing to promote its proprietary UNIX-like (POSIX compliant) LynxOS RTOS, Lynx embarked on a plan to embrace Linux in two ways: a new Linux based product, BlueCat Linux, which the company would aggressively promote, sell, and support; modifications to their existing product, LynxOS, to provide full Linux application binary compatibility. A month ago, Lynx Real-Time Systems embraced Linux in an even more intimate manner -- by changing its name to LynuxWorks, Inc.
Today, evidencing that their Linux strategy has paid off in a big way, LynuxWorks announced completion of a round of private financing totaling $35M. The current announcement adds a long list of investors to Intel, Motorola, and TurboLinux, who earlier this year jointly invested some $20M in LynuxWorks. Included in the latest announcement are Dain Rauscher Wessels Venture Partners L.P., Sun Venture Capital Partners, Satwik Management LLC, RVS Holdings, Pacific Venture Partners, Technology Associates Management Corp., Lite-On Technology Corp., Pacific Technology Investment Group, Sands Brothers Venture Capital, NetAngels Fund LLC, Venus Capital Management, and Hencorp Venture Partners, LLC.
Advocating "Linux technology"
Dr. Inder Singh, Chairman and CEO of LynuxWorks, says his company plans to use the funding to develop and deploy "Linux-based technology in embedded systems ranging from Internet appliances and hand-held wireless devices, to communications infrastructure and mission critical air-traffic control modules." The company will also expand research and development of high availability products for the telecommunications, data communications, and aerospace markets.
Since announcing the Linux strategy last Fall, Singh has been an outspoken proponent of Linux as a key to providing much needed and long absent common standards to the embedded operating systems market. "Linux is in an excellent position to provide the missing platform for the fragmented embedded market, around which the embedded software industry can flourish," says Singh.
Singh, an early champion of the Embedded Linux Consortium (ELC), was recently elected to the ELC's board of directors. "Linux is going to have its biggest play in the embedded arena," contends Singh. "The embedded market has lacked a widely popular operating system. Large companies with multiple products and divisions are attracted to Linux because it's real, and because it's available from many sources. The standards fostered by Linux are going to enable shrink-wrapped applications, for the first time, in the embedded systems market."
Singh, whose company has been one of the principal proponents of UNIX-like (POSIX) RTOS software for the embedded market, sees Linux as a set of unifying protocols and standards that will fight fragmentation through the growing momentum of its popularity. "All Linux distributions start from a common kernel," points out Singh, "and the web is an enormous factor that will keep that compatibility in tact."
Two options are better than one?
Some embedded Linux companies have characterized LynuxWorks' dual OS strategy as a "bait and switch" tactic. In response to such assertions, Singh emphasizes that both Linux and LynxOS are important to his company and to its current and future customer base.
"We have major design wins on both sides -- BlueCat and LynxOS," says Singh. "There's a lot of synergy and as a result some customers are using both, either within different parts of one product, or within separate product lines. The tools, too, are quite similar, and will become even closer to each other in the future."
Snowballing Embedded Linux acceptance
Given that the Embedded Linux Consortium (www.embedded-linux.org) has grown at the rate of nearly one new member per day, since its launch several months ago, it seems clear that Linux -- whether as an operating system, or as an API/ABI standard -- offers an OS alternative that fills a substantial void in the embedded software market.
Judging by the sizes of investments being made in embedded Linux software players like LynuxWorks, the industry seems to like the new Linux alternatives -- in all their varying formats.
Related stories:
Intel adds LynuxWorks to "applied computing" partner list
Lynx+Linux -- a Dual OS Strategy
Lynx Launches Embedded Linux Support, Training, Consulting
QNX goes "Linux-like"
(Click here for further information)
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