NEWS

Wind River To Support Sun's Breakthrough UltraSPARC T1 Multithreaded Next-Generation Processor

 

ALAMEDA, Calif., November 1, 2006 — Wind River Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: WIND), the global leader in Device Software Optimization (DSO), today announced that Wind River® Platform for Network Equipment, Linux Edition, will be optimized to support the next-generation UltraSPARC™ T1 processor created by Sun Microsystems. The combination of a Wind River run-time platform on an open source, 64-bit, multi-threaded architecture will offer significantly increased performance throughput for high-end ATCA applications and will enable telecommunications equipment providers (TEMs) and network equipment providers (NEPs) to build next-generation compute-intensive communications server platforms.

This new support will result in higher service availability, faster time-to-market, reduced development costs and lower total cost of operations. Working with Sun Microsystems to deliver this solution, Wind River reaffirms its commitment to meeting the demands of NEPs and TEMs by offering commercially available Carrier Grade Linux (CGL) solutions that provide customer flexibility in designing, scaling and tuning high-end data intensive applications for next generation infrastructures.

Sun's UltraSPARC T1 processor is the industry's first multi-threaded open source chip architecture. Its complete design is published by OpenSPARC.net and available to anyone under the GNU General Public License. Having completed an evaluation port of its Platform for Network Equipment, Linux Edition, environment to the UltraSPARC T1, Wind River is officially the first CGL solution partner to support the OpenSPARC™ architecture.

With this solution, developers will be able to create innovative and highly optimized ATCA applications such as Signaling and Media Gateways, Application Servers, Home Subscriber and Location Registers, and many additional components addressing the latest requirements for 3G and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) deployments. This solution will enable customers to complete projects faster and with a greater degree of hardware integration than ever before, creating unique, high-value solutions that address current and future convergence requirements for the telecom and communications markets.

"We are excited that the first Carrier Grade Linux on OpenSPARC is from Wind River," said Raju Penumatcha, vice president of Netra Systems and Networking at Sun Microsystems, Inc. "Wind River is recognized for its rich development environment and reliability at the heart of telecommunications networks. Combining these attributes with the unmatched scalability of the Sun OpenSPARC architecture enables a Linux platform that is ready for the next build out of converged networks."

Pioneered by Sun with the multicore UltraSPARC T1 processor, the open source release of the chip design provides a very high-end, scalable architecture that delivers chip multi-threaded innovation to NEPs and TEMs interested in building next generation ATCA platforms. The UltraSPARC T1 processor provides high throughput by using eight CPU cores running a hypervisor that provides 32 physical threads into a single ATCA compute blade, 28 more than any other general-purpose multicore processor in the market today. In addition the open availability of the processor design and Instruction Set-Architecture (ISA) greatly simplifies and accelerates the development of run-time software.

"Sun's UltraSPARC T1 processor delivers industry-leading performance and multi-threading features that enable a whole new class of high-end, high-value solutions for markets such as ATCA," said John Bruggeman, chief marketing officer, Wind River. "As the market-leading provider of Carrier Grade Linux-based device software platforms, we are pleased to support the OpenSPARC architecture. Together with Sun, we look forward to offering our customers tightly integrated, highly optimized ATCA solutions featuring the industry's most innovative hardware and software technology."

Based on a CGL distribution, Wind River Platform for Network Equipment, Linux Edition, integrates with many of the industry's most popular telecommunications boards, making it an ideal fit for the telecommunications and high-end data networking markets. It supports the emerging PICMG 3.x ATCA specification and various high-availability functions, and includes a standards-based interprocess communication (IPC) mechanism that connects the Linux and VxWorks editions of the platform. This tested and validated Linux platform is supported and maintained by Wind River.

Availability
Support for the next generation OpenSPARC processor will be available in the second half of 2007.

About Wind River
Wind River is the global leader in Device Software Optimization (DSO). Wind River enables companies to develop, run, and manage device software faster, better, at lower cost, and more reliably. Wind River platforms are preintegrated, 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 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 the resulting significant boost to the value of DSO 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 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 is a registered trademark of Wind River Systems, Inc. Other marks used herein are the property of the respective owners.

 

Contact Information
Jessica Miller
Global Corporate Communications