Long-term collaboration will integrate MontaVista Linux with NEC Electronics' embedded hardware platforms to enhance the developer experience with faster time-to-market and reduced cost of development

MontaVista Software, Inc. and NEC Electronics Corporation (TSE: 6723) today announced that they have established a strategic partnership to integrate and optimize MontaVista Linux for NEC Electronics' embedded hardware platforms. The integration of technologies will enable device/system manufacturers to build high quality products, with lower total development costs and reduced time-to-market. Through this partnership, MontaVista will provide MontaVista Linux platforms to NEC Electronics for use in its mobile phone, digital consumer and car navigation solutions.

"As embedded systems become more complex, the market seeks new ways to develop system products. To be successful, device manufacturers now require robust, easy-to-use solutions, which can reduce some of the complexity and help them differentiate their products," said Seiji Mitsuoka, general manager, Software Strategy Planning Division, NEC Electronics Corporation. "We decided to expand our relationship with MontaVista Software because of its reputation as a premier system platform supplier. This partnership represents a mutual commitment to encourage the development of new sophisticated, embedded applications."

NEC Electronics will also join the MontaVista LSP Certification Program and will work to create Linux Support Packages (LSPs) for MontaVista Linux Professional Edition, using the MontaVista Linux Board Support Toolkit (BST). BST is an easy-to-use certification suite that validates LSP layout, architecture, and content, and verifies the LSP is compatible with a wide range of application software. NEC Electronics will also resell MontaVista Linux, and provide technical support and engineering services to its customers who have projects based on MontaVista Linux.

"MontaVista Software's technology continues to drive the adoption of Linux as the platform of choice for developers in a broad range of markets," said Kelly Herrell, senior vice president, Strategic Operations, MontaVista Software. "Through our collaboration with NEC Electronics, device and system manufacturers will benefit from a high quality, optimized MontaVista Linux implementation that is supported by both MontaVista Software and NEC Electronics. They will also enjoy significant increases in efficiency and quality, and lower development costs."

NEC Electronics and MontaVista are also discussing joint development of an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) for multi-core processors such as the ARM processors. These multiprocessors are deployed in a wide range of applications.

About MontaVista Linux Professional Edition
MontaVista Linux Professional Edition (Pro) is a leading comprehensive embedded operating system and cross development environment. It includes a modern OS featuring real-time functionality, multi-process capabilities and multi-threaded remote debugging, with extensive bundled software components including rich networking. Pro targets more than 25 processors from eight industry-leading architectures and supports more than 100 boards offering developers great freedom to choose the elements for their development environment, which, in effect, allows them to speed cutting-edge products to market faster and at a lower cost. Pro also incorporates MontaVista DevRocketTM, a powerful integrated development environment that delivers state-of-the-art development tools.