Jared Moya
July 31st, 2006, 10:21 AM
Boeing has awarded Wind River Systems a contract to embed its version of Linux into a new military aircraft, the software company said Monday.
Boeing, the aerospace giant, will use Wind River's Linux to run surveillance and other mission computing tasks in the P-8A Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft, a 737 modified for U.S. Navy uses such as finding submarines and other tasks, said Chip Downing, senior aerospace and defense marketing manager at Wind River. Linux won't be used for navigation or aircraft control systems.
Linux has made inroads into embedded computing systems such as networking equipment and mobile phones, but Wind River is trying to expand its presence in other embedded computing markets such as aerospace and military applications. The strategy is a turnaround for the Alameda, Calif.-based company, which until 2003 disparaged Linux in favor of its own proprietary operating system, VxWorks.
The company is bridging the divide between the two operating systems with its Workbench programming tool software. Wind River charges a company $4,000 to $11,000 for each developer's copy of Workbench. However, whereas Wind River charges a royalty fee for devices using VxWorks, it doesn't do so for Linux, said Glenn Seiler, senior manager for Linux Platforms at Wind River.
http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-6100043.html?part=rss&tag=6100043&subj=news
Boeing, the aerospace giant, will use Wind River's Linux to run surveillance and other mission computing tasks in the P-8A Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft, a 737 modified for U.S. Navy uses such as finding submarines and other tasks, said Chip Downing, senior aerospace and defense marketing manager at Wind River. Linux won't be used for navigation or aircraft control systems.
Linux has made inroads into embedded computing systems such as networking equipment and mobile phones, but Wind River is trying to expand its presence in other embedded computing markets such as aerospace and military applications. The strategy is a turnaround for the Alameda, Calif.-based company, which until 2003 disparaged Linux in favor of its own proprietary operating system, VxWorks.
The company is bridging the divide between the two operating systems with its Workbench programming tool software. Wind River charges a company $4,000 to $11,000 for each developer's copy of Workbench. However, whereas Wind River charges a royalty fee for devices using VxWorks, it doesn't do so for Linux, said Glenn Seiler, senior manager for Linux Platforms at Wind River.
http://news.com.com/2100-7344_3-6100043.html?part=rss&tag=6100043&subj=news