RED HAT BRINGS OPEN SOURCE TO POST-PC EMBEDDED DEVICES

Red Hat Delivers Open Source Tools and Services to Create Linux-based Applications for a Broad Spectrum of Pervasive Computing Devices

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Red Hat, the market leader in Linux and open source solutions, announced today
its official entry into the post-PC market to meet increasing demand for Red
Hat's open source-based services and support. As its first open source offering
in the embedded space, Red Hat is introducing the Red Hat Tools for Embedded
Developers, an open source integrated development environment (IDE) to deliver
software developers everything needed to quickly and easily create open source,
Linux-based applications on a wide spectrum of pervasive, post-PC computing
devices.


Red Hat Tools let developers write an application on a Linux-based system and
then easily deploy that application on embedded devices. It also enables
developers to port existing Linux applications and content to a new generation
of embedded devices. The Tools allow developers to be more productive and
accelerate the adoption of Linux and open source technologies as a development
and embedded operating system platform for next-generation Internet and
embedded devices, including Internet appliances, intelligent networking devices, PDAs
and handhelds. The Red Hat Tools for Embedded Developers is the first embedded
development solution resulting from the recent acquisition of Cygnus Solutions.


Colin Tenwick, Red Hat Europe's VP and General Manager, said: "Today's
announcement marks Red Hat's commitment to bringing the power of open source to
the post-PC embedded market, Red Hat Tools leverage the success of our current
service and support offerings for Linux, and are the first step in our vision
to deliver the technology and services that are needed to design and build the
next generation of Internet appliances and embedded devices."


Powerful Open Source Offering for Linux Appliances Red Hat tools for embedded
developers combine the latest development and debugging technologies in a
single package that offers everything needed for Linux developers to create and deploy
applications for embedded IA-32 or PowerPC target systems running embedded
Linux. It includes:


EL/IX Application Programming Interface, an embedded application programming
interface (API) that makes it possible to use desktop Linux systems for
application development and then easily recompile and deploy those applications
across the complete spectrum of post-PC devices. A detailed white paper on the
EL/IX standard can be found at http://sourceware.cygnus.com/elix.


Intuitive, Graphical IDE with Embedded Cross-Platform Support - the next
generation of Code Fusion, the award winning IDE from recently acquired Cygnus
Solutions. This includes the latest release of open source, commercially
supported GNU tools for cross-platform development. These include gcc, gdb, and
the open source graphical user interface to gdb, Insight. The Tools also
provide sophisticated source browsing functionality, build and project management
tools, and remote debugging of embedded Linux targets.


Priority access to Red Hat's embedded software repository with new ports and
tools enhancements.


An unmodified version of the x86 2.2.12 Linux kernel, which is currently
shipping with Red Hat Linux 6.1.


"The continued fast-paced adoption of Linux depends on the availability of
applications as well as the tools that drive applications," said Dan Kusnetzky,
program director, Operating Environments and Serverware. "Delivering
applications for a new generation of post-PC, Internet-enabled devices requires
an integrated development environment and a comprehensive set of development
tools. Red Hat's tools appear to address that need by enabling developers to
run Linux in embedded environments and develop applications that are portable
across a range of computing devices."


Leverages Red Hat's Unmatched Support Services Last year, Red Hat also
announced training and support specifically tailored for today's application programmers.
The recent acquisition of Cygnus also delivered vast technical and development
expertise for embedded, post-PC devices. The Tools include a powerful spectrum
of support services for embedded Internet and next-generation, post-PC
developers working on workgroup or enterprise projects. These include a
subscription service featuring periodic maintenance releases and technology
upgrades, installation support, consultation services, custom engineering
development services, and developer training.


For a complete technical overview of Red Hat Tools and services, visit
Redhat.com at www.redhat.com/products/tools/tools.html.


Pricing and Availability Red Hat Tools for Embedded Developers support x86 and
PowerPC platforms and are expected to be available in March 2000. The Tools are
priced at $599 and include email-based installation support along with a
one-year subscription to priority FTP service, which includes product
maintenance upgrades and convenient access to the latest embedded Linux
technology.


Open Source Momentum International Data Corp. (IDC) research states that Linux
was the fastest-growing server operating environment in 1998, growing more than
190 percent in that year alone and capturing more than 15.8 percent of the 4.4
million revenue shipment server operating systems market segment. Additionally,
IDC states that Red Hat Linux is by far the most popular distribution,
preferred by 68.7 percent of U.S. Linux users.


According to research firm NetCraft, Inc. (www.netcraft.com), 29 percent of all
public Web servers run on Linux, making Linux the most popular operating system
for public Web sites. Finally, IDC predicts that by 2002, there will be more
than 55 million handheld and notebook-style information appliance devices and
that by 2005, shipments of these appliances will exceed shipments of PCs.


Red Hat's numerous alliances with industry leaders and the demand for
Linux-based applications has created open source support from many of the
industry's leading software and hardware manufacturers, including Compaq,
Computer Associates, Corel, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Netscape,
Novell, Oracle and SAP.


About Red Hat, Inc.


Founded in 1994, Red Hat is a leader in the development of
Linux-based operating system software (OS) and services. Based in Durham, N.C.,


Red Hat builds the most accessible and advanced server OS available anywhere
with technical innovations such as RPM and the disk druid installation tool.
Red Hat Linux is available for Intel, Compaq Alpha and Sun SPARC platforms. Red Hat
Linux available directly from the company and through Red Hat's partner,
distributor and reseller programs, which include top PC and server
manufacturers like Dell, IBM and Hewlett-Packard.


Red Hat Linux was named InfoWorld's Product of the Year for four years in a
row, was given a productivity accolade in Software Development's Jolt Awards, was
named an environment/desktop finalist in the Ziff-Davis European Excellence
Awards, won the editor's choice awards from the Linux Journal and Australian
Personal Computing magazines, and won the 'Just Plain Cool' award from
Australian Personal Computing magazine.


At March's LinuxWorld Expo, more than 8,000 members of the Linux community
voted Red Hat a 'LinuxWorld Favorite'. Red Hat Linux recently won a Product
Excellence award from Software Development Magazine.


LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. RED HAT is a registered trademark of
Red Hat, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. All other names and
trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

  • About Red Hat
  • Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As the connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.



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