NEWS

Wind River VxWorks 6.1 Delivers Unprecedented Interoperability and Compatibility Across Software Platforms and Hardware Architectures

  • Brings to device software the most robust and flexible real-time operating system with support for open standards and unprecedented interoperability
  • Industry’s first and only DSO provider to deliver both IPv6 Ready Phase II Logo Certification and a commercial strength Transparent Interprocess Communication (TIPC) implementation
  • Broadens VxWorks 6 device support to include ARM, xScale and SuperH processor architectures; expands existing PPC, Intel Architecture and MIPS architectures to additional processors
  • Announces Professional Services Practice for VxWorks-based devices

ALAMEDA, Calif. and ORLANDO, Fla. – May 23, 2005 – Wind River Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:WIND), the global leader in Device Software Optimization (DSO), today introduced VxWorks 6.1, the newest version of the world’s leading real-time operating system for device software, furthering Wind River’s already substantial lead in the evolution of next generation device development. Wind River also announced that VxWorks 6.1 received the Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) Ready Phase II Logo Certification, making Wind River the only DSO provider to offer customers this level of certification for connected devices, along with a commercial strength Transparent Interprocess Communication (TIPC) implementation.

“Wind River is simply unbeatable when it comes to offering device manufacturers the best real-time functionality and interoperability across a huge range of architectures,” said John Fanelli, vice president, product planning and management, Wind River. “There is simply no other real-time offering that meets device requirements across as many hardware platforms as VxWorks, that supports standards-based interoperability, and integrates seamlessly with the leading Eclipse-based device development environment, Wind River Workbench. VxWorks still trumps all the rest, hands down, at helping customers make reliable devices faster, better, and at lower cost.”

As the device market has matured, so have the demands for more intelligent, connected, reliable products. To address this shift, software has quickly become a significant competitive differentiator in products across all vertical industries, even for companies that have not traditionally relied on technology as a key part of their business strategy. As such, hordes of companies are seeking out ways to efficiently add high functionality software to their products without incurring high development costs. Wind River is uniquely positioned to bring value to those companies by providing efficient, optimized development processes on top of the world’s most trusted real-time operating system for devices.

According to Daya Nadamuni, chief analyst and research vice president in Gartner Dataquest, “Devices are becoming multi-functional, and many stand alone devices are converging to a single platform. Rising device complexity is driving the need for real time operating systems that are reliable and scalable and provide broad architecture support.” ¹

Wind River General Purpose Platform, VxWorks Edition 3.1
VxWorks 6 has been adopted in dozens of new device wins since the December 2004 introduction. Key features and capabilities driving VxWorks 6 momentum include support for real-time, memory protected threads, configurable footprint size, advanced error detection and sockets-based messaging architecture.

The Wind River General Purpose Platform, VxWorks Edition combines VxWorks 6.1, the latest update to the VxWorks operating system, and Wind River Workbench 2.3 to provide a robust end-to-end development and runtime platform that spans the continuum of device software development. VxWorks 6.1 brings to device software the most robust and flexible real-time operating system with support for open standards and unprecedented interoperability, while providing backward compatibility with existing VxWorks 5.5 and 6 software. The Wind River General Purpose Platform 6.1 will provide the rock-solid, high performing foundation for Wind River’s market specific platforms, including Wind River Platform for Automotive Devices and Wind River Platform for Consumer Devices.

New VxWorks capabilities include:

  • Broad processor support: Meets device hardware requirements across all industry verticals including network equipment, consumer, aerospace and defense, industrial, and automotive. VxWorks 6.1 supports PowerPC, MIPS, Intel Architecture, ARM, XScale, and SuperH architectures.

  • Advanced messaging and connectivity: Customers are demanding support for evermore complex and connected devices. VxWorks 6.1 includes the Wind River dual-mode IPv4/v6 mode network stack, which has recently been awarded the IPv6 Ready Phase II Logo Certification, a key requirement for many vertical industries including aerospace and defense and consumer devices. VxWorks 6.1 also includes multi-processor and process communication service message channels that leverage the open source TIPC protocol, allowing VxWorks-based systems to transparently communicate and interoperate in heterogeneous operating environments.

  • Integrated Development Environment support: VxWorks 6.1 is tightly integrated with Wind River Workbench 2.3 which provides best-in-class development capabilities and seamlessly integrates hundreds of third-party plug-ins. Based on the Eclipse framework, it enables standardization on one common development suite across an entire organization and is extensible and scalable, allowing customers to meet unique project needs.


Wind River Professional Services
Wind River is the only DSO provider to bring a full range of services and support offerings to its customers. Wind River Professional Services has been at the forefront of helping clients implement good ideas for more than 20 years. Whatever the technical or logistical challenge, Wind River Professional Services offers a unique blend of skills, contacts, knowledge, intellectual property, flexible resources, design process and project management methodology to help get customers’ products to market. Supporting the VxWorks 6.1 release, Wind River Professional Services offers its leading consultation services to clients buying VxWorks for the first time as well as clients migrating to VxWorks 6.1. A sampling of the services that VxWorks customers can receive include:

  • Device design: Includes system requirements development, hardware, and software high-level architecture design, technology assessments, and partial and complete design outsourcing to help ensure a project’s success

  • Board support package (BSP) and driver optimization: Includes development and maintenance of Wind River-compliant VxWorks 6.1 BSPs and customized drivers

  • Software system and middleware integration: Integrate, test, and support third-party provided middleware technologies to VxWorks 6.1

  • Legacy application and infrastructure migration: Port to and validate legacy software systems with the VxWorks 6.1 platform

  • Real-time best practices: Seasoned consultants with extensive device software expertise and dozens of project successes consult on a global scale to ensure your project’s success


Strong Partner Support for VxWorks
VxWorks 6.1 broadens the existing PowerPC, MIPS Technologies, and Intel Architecture processor support and adds architecture support to include ARM, Intel XScale, and Renesas SuperH architectures.

“We are excited about the new developments in VxWorks. Wind River is recognized as the leader for DSO solutions, and our licensees continue to adopt its solutions,” said Jack Browne, vice president of worldwide sales, MIPS Technologies. “Strengthening of the Wind River and MIPS Technologies relationship benefits our joint customers by lowering development costs and reducing time-to-market.”

“ARM, as the leading semiconductor Intellectual Property company, designs technology that lies at the heart of a broad range of advanced digital products including wireless, networking and consumer entertainment platforms,” said Mary Inglis, director, Operating Systems and Alliances, ARM. “The inclusion of ARM architectural support to VxWorks and the Wind River development environment will enable developers to fully leverage the capabilities of the architecture.”

Availability
Wind River VxWorks 6.1 will be available in late May in Early Access for select customers.
It will be generally available in June 2005.

About Wind River
Wind River is the global leader in device software optimization (DSO). Wind River enables companies to develop and run device software faster, better, at a lower cost and more reliably. Wind River Platforms are pre-integrated, fully standardized enterprise-wide development solutions. They reduce effort, cost and risk, and optimize quality and reliability at all phases of the device software development process from concept to deployed product.

Founded in 1981, Wind River is headquartered in Alameda, California, with operations worldwide. To learn more, visit Wind River at www.windriver.com or call Wind River at 1-800-872-4977.

Forward-Looking Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements in this press release including, but not limited to, the anticipated release and benefits of new products, services and reference designs by Wind River and resulting from collaboration with partners, are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause results to be materially different than expectations. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, delays in the development or integration of technologies, rapid technological or business changes that adversely affect customer demand or partner strategies, and other risks detailed from time to time in the Wind River reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission including its Form 10-K for the year ended January 31, 2005. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof. Wind River disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

The Wind River logo is a trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc., and Wind River and VxWorks are registered trademarks of Wind River Systems, Inc. Other marks used herein are the property of the respective owners.

¹Source: Gartner Dataquest, "User Survey: Embedded System Design, Asia/Pacific, 2004, Published May 17, 2005.

Contact Information
Jessica Miller
Global Corporate Communications