In the past two years, Wind River Systems got over its scorn for Linux. Now it’s up to Ken Klein, chief executive for 15 months, to do more than embrace the open-source operating system: He’s got to find a way to profit from it.
Wind River’s Linux transformation
About The Author
Eugenia Loli
Ex-programmer, ex-editor in chief at OSNews.com, now a visual artist/filmmaker.
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I remeber visiting WindRiver in Houten Netherlands.
We were negotiating about a an embedded device we wanted to run
embedded software on (Wrox) i told them that i was also looking
for a Linux solution on our device but they kept on hammering
that within 2 or 3 years some big court case would popup regarding Linux and it would therefore not be wise to invest in it. It would be a dead-end.
I am glad we choose Linux. I wonder did they see the SCO coming?? and now that it seems that SCO is lost…
Strange how things can go….
i really hope they dont jsut get rid of/stop developing VxWorks its a great little RTOS
Why not sell books about the RTOS or embedded programming with Wind River tools, or charge for technical support?
to where he talks about MonteVista… specifically:
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
I can hear the Open Source fanboys screaming “I’m not listening” already. Dirty hippies.
Dirty hippies my ass. If I was a WindRiver customer, all I care about is *my* best interest. To *me*, an open add-on is more valuable than a closed one. Not for ideological reasons, but simply because it’d probably be cheaper and gives me more flexibility. Am I hippy to act in my own interest?
Am I hippy to act in my own interest?
Some cynics might define a “hippy” as a person who tires to get certain goods by convincing people that do have those goods that they should share. Idealogy wouldn’t apply.
So to answer your question: yes, from a certain point of view.
Wasn’t this the same guy, who last year, in an EETimes article was ranting and raving to the U.S. Government that Linux had no place in embedded devices over proprietary systems, and that terrorists could exploit embedded or desktop linux?
YES HE WAS.
Then I read about how he was a higher-up at Wind River and laughed my ass off.
Now he’s “embracing” Linux… Amazing… Good luck making a profit.