The rise and rise of embedded Linux
Published: 08 Apr 2005 11:30 BST
Do you use your own version of Linux, or is it Red Hat-based?
We start with the kernel at kernel.org. This is a parallel strategy to what we're doing with Red Hat. When the market requires a sealed, branded (Linux) distribution, then we're recommending Red Hat. But in the device software space, we expect these platforms will be modified by our customers.
Is it fair to say you initially planned to use a Red Hat foundation, but now expect to use that version only for some sealed systems whose operating system can't be customised?
That's one way you could frame it. As these markets mature, as we may see in the ATCA space, we're going to be working with Red Hat. We reserve the right to change our minds at Wind River based on customer feedback.
Who are your primary competitors?
The biggest is roll-your-own. There are lots of midgets and one dwarf. Fortunately, we're the dwarf. But now, you can't get there from here building it all from scratch.
MontaVista Software is the only pure-play Linux vendor. They've been the unfortunate red-eyed mouse here and have made a lot of mistakes in terms of their business model. Fundamentally, it's because they're not adding proprietary value around Linux. They're trying to sell free software. It's just not a model that has legs.
Another competitor is Green Hills, which is primarily in aerospace and defence. They have been the stalwart for staying very niche, very proprietary. At the end of the day, customers want the ability to go open source or proprietary or both. Enter Wind River with a $250m [revenue] run rate, a $1bn market cap and 1,100 employees, we're extremely well positioned to serve this marketplace.
Microsoft has better than a $250m run rate.
Sure. But a big part of this market is going to Linux. That's a barrier to entry to Microsoft. And our customers have an aversion to putting Microsoft in their devices. Third, this market is about reliability. You can't do control-alt-delete on a pacemaker. And it's a very fragmented marketplace. You can't just do it on one processor. Microsoft's business doesn't support that.
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