Mobile

Wind River and Android – 5 great years, with many more to come

By Dan Noal

It was 5 years ago this week that I got an email from our CEO who had just met with Andy Rubin and Rich Miner at the Googleplex. Google had invited us to talk privately and confidentially about what would become Android.  Other companies were already on board, and they asked us to join the small group of companies collaborating with them as part of the nascent Open Handset Alliance. They talked big about disrupting the entire mobile phone ecosystem and solving the fragmentation problem with so many competing Linux based phone stacks emerging at that time. They painted a vision where open source Android would dominate the mobile phone space and migrate to adjacent markets.  We knew that they had credibility from Danger, we knew that Google had tremendous momentum and power they could leverage.  We discussed it internally, and without much debate we replied “where do we sign?” and started to roll up our sleeves. 

Today, the smartphone market has gone through a radical change.  The Android operating system has taken the market by storm and exceeded even everyone’s expectations.  How could Google have been sure of the degree of success that Android would have in smartphones, let alone the swift spread of Android into a myriad of new device types?  How could they have known that the various ecosystems would line up to support the platform, and that it would become the juggernaut we now see?  It is also important to realize the iPhone was initially shipped about 3 months after our initial Google meeting. 

The ability to use Android as the runtime foundation for embedded devices of all kinds is more viable than ever.  But adapting anything new to the embedded device market is not a trivial effort.   Wind River is fully aware of the intricate challenges faced by device manufacturers across the board.  We recently hosted an executive luncheon at DESIGN West with industry leaders to discuss Android beyond mobile. Check out their presentations here.  Executives from a diverse array of companies attended to find out if Android can be a differentiator for their next generation product. As you’ll see from the presentations, many of the great features and capabilities introduced by Android can absolutely be leveraged for embedded devices.  In fact, we’re already helping customers use Android for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems, IP media phones, and just about anything with a user interface. 

And, five years after our initial meeting with Google, Wind River continues to dedicate efforts to Android and its expansion into traditional embedded device categories including automotive infotainment, industrial, aerospace and defense and medical. Our portfolio of Android technologies, which includes commercial runtime platforms, market specific solution accelerators, testing frameworks, user experience tests, and design services and support can fast track any embedded Android project. 

Along with our partners and customers, we are pushing forward with a wide range of Android based products and projects in multiple industry segments.  Five years after that initial Google meeting, Android is still as exciting to us now, as it was then.  If you have any questions about adapting Android for an embedded device, feel free to get in touch.

 

For additional information from Wind River, visit us on Facebook.

Android Unleashed on Embedded – Will it Take Off or Just Be One of the Pack?

By Jessica Schieve

This week, the embedded community descends on Silicon Valley to see and hear the latest developments in the industry.  The Embedded Systems Conference, now part of DESIGN West opens its doors to all things embedded.  The event features seven different technology summits including one specifically designed for Android developers to address the rise of embedded Android, and Wind River will help lead the charge.

At the show, Wind River is the platinum sponsor of the Android Summit where it will be conducting a training session to further educate and grow awareness of Android’s use in embedded.  In our showroom exhibit space, we’ll be demonstrating some of our key Android solutions including a soup to nuts Android implementation for automotive in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems.  And, our annual executive luncheon at the show will also focus on embedded Android. 

Our luncheon, themed “Unleashing Android on the Embedded Device Market," brings together industry leaders from Intel, McAfee, Texas Instruments and Wind River for a candid discussion about the reality of using Android for traditional embedded devices.  The presentations will cover topics such as:

• Migrating traditional devices to the Android – what makes sense
• Running Android alongside legacy operating systems
• Utilizing embedded virtualization for greater flexibility and security
• Adding security to limit device vulnerability
• Adapting existing hardware to better deliver the Android experience

We’ll wrap the luncheon with a lively panel discussion on the enablers and inhibitors surrounding Android in the embedded market, including opportunities for an audience Q&A.  By the end of the day, attendees will have had a chance to explore the potential behind Android in embedded and whether it will take off on a path of its own or run alongside other embedded technologies and be one of the pack.

If you’re interested in participating in one of our Android events at DESIGN West 2012, visit our event site to find more information about obtaining exhibit passes or joining us for the executive luncheon.  Or, enter to win one of our three available one-day all access passes.  See you at DESIGN West 2012!

 

For additional information from Wind River, visit http://www.facebook.com/WindRiverSystems.  

 

Android Security – making sense of all the choices

By Chris Buerger

Last week’s public release of the Security Enhanced (SE) Android project and associated source code is hailed by many as an important foundational step to add a new set of options to create secure Android devices. While the recent release of the code base by the National Security Agency (NSA) is familiar territory for Android experts such as Wind River who have been designing and implementing comprehensive security layers to a wide spectrum of Android devices for a few years now, the portrayal of this development in the media as an all-encompassing security solution grossly oversimplifies the complex subject matter that Android security represents.

Simply speaking, compiling and flashing the SE Android code base on to your Nexus S will not make it completely 'secure.'

Wind River has been enabling Android devices for close to five years now. Based on that experience and over a decade of pioneering mobile Linux-based devices, four key security-related points stand out.

One, Android security is a like a puzzle that incorporates many different pieces to create a truly secure device. Two, security is a use case driven concept; a military mobile communications terminal has a different definition and set of requirements for security than, for example, an Android software stack running on an in-vehicle infotainment system (IVI).  Three, a security implementation is not a ‘fire and forget’ exercise. Care must be taken to architect a system that is both able to withstand new attack types and that can be upgraded in the field to the latest version of Android (and, if need be, specific security-oriented patches) while maintaining or improving its previous security level. Finally, simply declaring a software implementation as ‘secure’ is insufficient. There needs to be a test framework and automated test scripts that put the device under test (DUT) under stress, emulate attacks and deliver measurable proof-points that certain attack types will not interfere with the primary use cases defined for the target device. This test framework needs to be expandable to rapidly validate devices running the latest Android release as well be flexible enough to incorporate new attack scripts.

Let’s take a closer look at these four points.

Based on our analysis, we have identified over a dozen distinct areas of Android security. This includes areas such as user identification/authentication, user data protection across multiple memory locations, incoming/outgoing data filtering, event recording to enable remote audits, the choice and implementation of a variety of cryptography technologies, trusted paths, rights management, virtualization and spatial/temporal domain separation, trusted boot, malware mitigation, firmware update protection, application installation management … the list goes on and on. To give you a visual reference, the situation reminds me of a recent family visit to an old Soviet submarine that had hundreds of control point valves that could be manipulated to manage the various systems on the ship. The required expertise clearly needs to exist in both the definition of the control points as well as in the knowledgeable management of them. On a submarine as well as in Android, you need to have experts that know which ‘valve’ to turn, when and how much. In addition, the choice of application processor technology (e.g. ARM vs. IA) can influence how to use, for example, embedded virtualization technologies such as Wind River’s Hypervisor.

To address the second point, Wind River has designed and implemented Android security technologies for a wide spectrum of devices ranging from custom-developed enterprise tablets to media phones, smartphones, tablets, IVI systems and devices used in the public safety and medical device sectors. Interestingly, a common thread that runs through all of these Android projects is that the approach to Android security is almost completely different for each device type. In other words, the device use cases mandated different priorities in the implementation of security technologies, different customizations to Android as well as different software validation concepts. To give you a concrete example, for a set of security concerns in the IVI space, check out the joint whitepaper from McAfee and Wind River. Understanding devices’ use cases is key and that step must be tightly coupled with Android security expertise.

Firmware management is a common enough concept in the mobile world. OMA-DM, for instance, has been used for many years in hundreds of millions of mobile terminals. The challenge that occurs for Android devices that fall outside of the smartphone world is that none of the generally operator-based device, user, services and policy management infrastructure exists. To fill this need, Wind River has developed a set of Solution Accelerators for Android that offer a choice of firmware management options to keep devices up-to-date with the latest Android security software. Additionally, a number of Wind River partners have also developed security-oriented policy management solutions that can be applied to meet specific use cases.

And finally, there needs to be expert testing of the Android security implementation on the target device. Of course, some testing can be done manually, however, using industry-leading automated test tools such as Wind River Framework for Automated Software Test (FAST) for Android can often deliver significant gains in test efficiency. This is especially true when Android DUTs need to be put under load by, for example, running an accelerated day profile test scenario as part of a soak test plan while concurrently running a set of attack scripts.

So, Android security is clearly not a ‘one size fits all’ situation. SE Android is but one component to developing a sensible, market-oriented software solution that provides additional security to the Android stack. Expert help is often needed due to the wide choice of technologies and options associated with a diverse range of device use cases. Seek out and engage with the global Wind River team should you have questions or concerns about building your secure Android device.

 

For additional information from Wind River, visit http://www.facebook.com/WindRiverSystems.  

Adding Android to the Embedded Mix

By Dan Noal

Wind River just hosted a webinar titled, “Adding Android to the Embedded Mix" and saw a great attendee turnout. There were a broad spectrum of companies represented, not just the traditional smartphone and tablet manufacturers.  This is a clear indication of the interest to use in Android for devices in all market segments.  In fact, one of the most frequently asked questions is, what other embedded markets have you seen or do you see having an Android play? 

Wind River has been working with customers on Android for a wide range of applications and markets, and our efforts continue to expand.  We’ve worked on many projects including enterprise IP phones from the likes of Avaya and in-vehicle infotainment systems from Clarion.  

Increasingly, Android is finding its way into markets like point-of-sale, fit-to-purpose industrial style tablets, and other device categories where a strongly supported application framework and active application ecosystem are important elements of platform choice.  Well publicized interest from the Department of Defense and Intelligence communities show that Android is getting a look not only in the category of a secure smartphone / tablet (where sensitive data is protected more strongly than what is required for a consumer product) but also other interesting applications where the Android advantages are important. The medical industry is also widely considering Android for several use cases including portable tablets for health care professionals.

Depending on the industry, the Android platform may be used “as is” or industry unique requirements may mandate changes to the Android platform itself.  If Android platform extensions are needed, it is important that these be added in such a way as to not compromise the integrity of the Android ecosystem.  Existing applications need to be able to run un-modified or a major Android strength is reduced.  Wind River has worked closely with customers performing industry specific platform modifications, building expertise and first hand experiences to make the appropriate customizations correctly.

If you are interested in learning more about adding Android to your embedded mix, check out our recorded presentation. 

 

For additional information from Wind River, visit http://www.facebook.com/WindRiverSystems.  

 

Platform Wars

By Dan Noal

In recent weeks, we’ve seen two seismic shifts in the mobile and tablet markets. First, Google announced its intent to acquire Motorola Mobility and a few days later, HP announced that it would discontinue producing webOS-based phones and the TouchPad. 

Google’s move to buy a hardware manufacturer has long been speculated in the media.  Motorola Mobility had previously been reported as a possible target, so Google’s move isn’t entirely surprising. However, after nearly 3 years since the public launch of Android, the question is why now?  Consider the comments of Android industry partners (e.g. Samsung, HTC, Verizon) mentioning the need to protect the Android ecosystem from IP lawsuits that threaten Android’s growth.  Now add the fact that Motorola Mobility has grown a significant patent portfolio in the mobile space over the past decade. 

Still, it is interesting to wonder about the long-term vision.  If Apple is the main competitor with the bulls-eye on its back, why wouldn’t Google focus all its efforts on building the finest devices that best leverage Android?  Which strategy is better – build it yourself or let leaders emerge from the group?  Many companies that have strongly adopted Android (Motorola Mobility being a major one) have all built very compelling devices that compete with Apple.  However, there isn’t an Android device that has the runaway success like Apple’s iPhone.  A key question now, and one that will take time to answer, is how hardware manufacturers will move forward on the Android platform now that Google owns one of their most capable competitors?  Additionally, how will this impact the ongoing platform battle against iOS?

HP’s move to stop making its webOS phones and TouchPad may not have been a surprise either.  At the time, some criticized HP’s move to buy Palm and predicted a less than rosy future.  To me, however, the timing of HP’s news was shocking.  HP seemed to be a company with a long-term vision and a commitment to own one of the key industry platforms.  It was investing in webOS and looked committed to realize best-in-class products based upon it.  These games are not won overnight, and with Apple’s leadership position and rapid rise of Android, it was clear that market share gains for webOS would take considerable time.  The iPad sensation was going to be difficult to dent, so initial low sales figures for the TouchPad were likely a sign that there was a long road ahead.  But good technical reviews for the webOS platform at least convinced me (and I wasn’t alone) that HP was in it for the long road.  Wrong. 

What’s the connection? Both clearly show that platform wars are expensive.  So expensive, in fact, that Google invested $12.5 billion to protect their platform and HP decided that although they wouldn’t kill their platform entirely, they wouldn’t grow and build devices based upon it (for now).  Both also show (as if we needed any more data) that Apple is a fierce competitor with a strong leadership position to protect.  Apple is also having a direct impact on Android’s success based upon litigation or the threat of litigation (the Samsung Galaxy situation in Europe shows this tangibly).  Rumored IP licensing fees paid by some Android-based handset manufacturers to Microsoft may also have had an effect.  HP’s respect for Apple as a competitor (and Android) may have been key in their decision to decrease their investment in webOS-based devices and to shift their focus to other business areas with more promise of profitability. 

As if these two pieces of news wasn’t enough, Steve Jobs then announced that he will immediately step down as Apple’s CEO. One can argue that Apple’s long and storied history is a personal legacy of the power and vision of a unique genius, but one can equally argue that the juggernaut that is Apple is much more than one man.  Apple’s place in these markets is currently so favorable, its position will likely continue to be very strong for at least the foreseeable future.

What will the coming months look like in the ongoing mobile platform wars?  What will become of RIM and the Blackberry OS?   What about Windows Phone 7 and beyond?  What about bada, MeeGo and other nascent platform entrants?  If the Motorola Mobility purchase and the webOS device retreat are telling us something, it is that if you intend to compete against Apple and Google, you better have deep pockets, a long-term vision, and be prepared for an all-out fight.  I am most definitely interested in watching it play out.

Dan Noal is a Senior Solutions Architect at Wind River with worldwide responsibility for Mobile and Tablet markets.  Dan has worked at Wind River for 14+ years and prior to his current role led the Mobile Service Practice in the Wind River Professional Solutions and Services Organization. Dan has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science from UCLA.

 

Android software quality: it's all in a single number

By Chris Buerger

Picture this: you are responsible for ensuring that the quality of the Android device you are about to ship will hold up in front of your customers. You are responsible that it will meet the often elusive 'commercial quality' goal. And it doesn't matter whether the Android software is being released as an initial software load on a new class of device or as a maintenance release for a device that is already in market. Also, ignore for a moment whether you sourced the Android software from your hardware Original Device Manufacturer (ODM) as part of a package deal or whether it represents significant investment into internal engineering budget.

The basic question to answer is simply: 'Is this software ready to be released?'. Or casting the net wider, will the software be good enough to stay below the return targets for the device? Will it be so good to act as a differentiator vs. your competitors and therefore help to meet your customer acquisition goals? And, if the software goes out to devices already in market, will it keep its users as engaged and satisfied with your brand as the prior device?

Big questions! Typically, a quality assurance process and the execution of an Android release-specific device test plan aim to assist management staff in answering them.

The test plan/process itself, of course, can be manual or automated or both. It can have performance, reliability, stress, soak, aging and compatibility test components and phases. There are many variations in any Android test approach, reflecting the priorities of the device owner and the use cases the device is meant to enable. However, one big challenge weaves itself like a red thread through this tapestry of Android software quality validation.

Here it is. Every method yields thousands, and if automated testing is included, tens of thousands of individual test results that become relevant in the process  to provide an answer to the single question on whether the device software is ready to ship. In reality, however, the sheer volume of test results creates overwhelming complexity. In essence, the challenge then becomes to reduce the test result complexity to a point where a single Go/No Go decision can be made with confidence.

This challenge is addressed in a new Wind River Android test innovation that I am proud to announce as an integral part of our new FAST for Android 1.6 release: the Wind River FAST score for Android. This composite score creates a single number to reflect the quality of the Android stack on the Device Under Test (DUT) when compared to industry-standard benchmark devices such as as Android Development Phones (e.g. Nexus S).Based on a Wind River developed algorithm, the FAST for Android score extends familiar concepts of single digit based quality scoring such as the ITU's VoIP E-Model to Android. The scoring mechanism is quick and repeatable, perfect for regression testing scenarios. It resolves the real-world challenge for many Android test organizations trying to cope with an ever complex set of results to interpret and make decisions on. So, are you skeptical or intrigued using a composite Android quality score to assist in the release Go/No Go process? Post your thoughts below or contact us should you have any questions about the FAST score for Android.

 

Google I/O and MeeGo Developer Conference – A Tale of Two Events

By Chris Buerger

First off, let me say that it is not fair to directly compare the two conferences to draw a conclusion about the comparative future of Android and MeeGo. Both software stacks are at a different place in their respective life cycles, and important maturity indicators such as overall ecosystem support (silicon providers, device manufacturers, application developer community etc…) as well as software quality/complexity are simply at a different stage for each technology.

However, who is interested in fairness? There is a perception in the marketplace that Android and MeeGo are competitive technologies in a proliferation war that includes other heavyweights such as Apple, Microsoft, Samsung and HP. If industry analysts put all of these software stacks on a single Mobile OS market share chart, they’ve got to be competitive, right?

Not quite. One important reason Android got to where it is today is that its first mass-market device, the HTC G1, sold millions of units across the globe, thus delivering a very tangible proof point to rally a worldwide ecosystem to participate in the development of Android. MeeGo’s proliferation, partly because of the rather wide device scope the software stack is attempting to cover, is following a different path. Clearly, there is no single, mass-volume MeeGo device today to rally an ecosystem around – however, there are a number of MeeGo based devices including netbooks, automotive IVI systems and set-top boxes that are either shipping or are in an advanced realization stage. In addition, I expect that the hopefully soon-to-be launched Nokia N9 MeeGo smart phone (plus anticipated developer version) will be able to at least meet a minimum set of expectations to provide a solid MeeGo smart phone developer platform and keep a basic level of ARM support alive. Whether it will sell millions of units will be influenced by operator acceptance and Nokia’s investment into marketing the phone.

So, key differences between Android and MeeGo are marked by their approach to the market. Android started focusing on a specific SKU to launch an ecosystem for a device type – a strategy that has worked so well in smart phones that it is being mirrored for tablets. Whereas MeeGo is attempting to grow from a broad base of open source projects, reflecting the cross device design philosophy of the stack, core cross platform-oriented components such as QT and MeeGo’s association with the Linux Foundation. Of course, this approach results in a reduction of risk associated with launching an individual device SKU, however, it also decreases release delivery/innovation speed from the MeeGo development program.

These points were clearly reflected in the two conferences. Who can argue with 310 Android devices being used as success showcases at an innovation-driven Google I/O conference, where lots of hardware was given away to thousands of attendees who considered themselves lucky to get a much-sought after (expensive) ticket to the event. Google I/O even had World Cup style ‘viewing parties’ across the globe. Then, consider the MeeGo conference, where walk-on registration to the free event was easily possible, and the estimated 300 attendees managed to modestly fill 70 percent of the ballroom for the key note. So, we are not talking apples to apples, nor should we. There is simply no comparison between Google taking a bold shot at Microsoft Windows with its Android accessory program, plus introducing attention-grabbing programs such as monthly rentals for Chromebooks vs. reminiscing about the rise of Linux as an operating system and bravely trying to associate that success story with the future potential of MeeGo. It’s also wrong to compare highly choreographed – dare I say ‘Microsoft/SUN/Qualcomm Dev conference’ like – sessions at I/O to the broad range of often free-flowing community-based presentations of the MeeGo event.

Here is another telling difference. The single most common response to questions that I noticed at Google I/O was a scripted ‘we are not ready to announce anything at this time’ to generally forward-looking enquiries. Compare that with the open attitude and discussions at MeeGo sessions along the lines of: ‘well, if you really want to make it work this way, show your code and the community will review it and debate its merits on public IRC.’

Simplistically, a key difference therefore is between being ‘led’ (Android) and being encouraged to ‘lead’ (MeeGo). Of course, this doesn’t mean there aren’t many areas of innovation potential within Android. There most definitely is significant room for innovation from software companies such as Wind River delivering technologies like the Wind River Platform for Android and our FAST for Android software quality tool. Nevertheless, the comparison is useful since it highlights that, while the MeeGo development community appears to have survived the heart attack of Nokia changing its OS direction, for many of us active in MeeGo there was an expectation that there would be at least an attempt to answer the perennial ‘Quo Vadis, MeeGo’ question that has been plagued this particular Linux distribution from Day 1.

Alas, a strong leadership message was not discernible at the MeeGo conference – simply stating that ‘MeeGo is in the first five minutes of a marathon race’ after more than a year of development and three releases cannot be enough. Downplaying the importance of the Technical Steering Group to be just an administrative function isn’t ideal either.  

So, what does this mean for Wind River? Wind River will continue to provide both Android and MeeGo technology innovation and leadership based on our global engineering centers and our focus on providing tailored, compliant, highly reliable Android and MeeGo software products. Our software is used in a diverse set of device types used in automotive (e.g. our highly successful MeeGo-based Platform for Infotainment), mobile and other embedded systems for both leading ARM and IA platforms. We will also continue to focus on providing a deep understanding of the challenges of using open source licenses to develop commercial products.

Next week, I look forward to participating at the Uplinq event in San Diego again. By many, this show is regarded as the single most important mobile event organized by a leading ARM licensee. The Wind River team will be demonstrating our latest technology for Android, and yes, MeeGo, so come on by for a conversation about both technologies and our device realization solutions at booth #314.

 

Come and see us at Mobile World Congress!

By Chris Buerger

Grab a pen and write down this number: Hall 2, booth 2C04 – this is where you’ll find the Wind River booth at Mobile World Congress (MWC).

Mobile innovation comes alive at demonstrations. At this year’s MWC event, we are showcasing the latest and greatest mobile Android and MeeGo innovations from Wind River. Along with the newest features within our Wind River Platform for Android such as DLNA Media Server and multi-windowing capabilities, we are also showing off the latest version of our Wind River Framework for Automated Software Testing (FAST) for Android that includes significant real world enhancements developed jointly with our customers. As Android is becoming more complex, an automated test tool to help you validate the performance and reliability of your Android stack can save both time and money. Come and see out what we have to offer to make your Android project a success.

MeeGo also continues to be a significant part of our efforts. At MWC, we are not only showing off brand new FAST for MeeGo technology; we are also proud to be the first software vendor to showcase a new MeeGo tablet user experience co-developed with Intel. It’s a definite must-see if you’re interested in creating a differentiated tablet device!

Check out our latest news and see additional details regarding Wind River’s presence at MWC.

 

Making the Case for MeeGo 2.0

By Chris Buerger

As an owner of the original Maemo-based N770, today is a sad day. Earlier, Nokia announced it would make Windows Phone 7 Nokia’s primary mobile platform, not MeeGo. This puts the brakes on what many considered a bold corporate initiative to bring Linux to a new class of Nokia mobile devices. Well before the iPad, well before the undoubtedly innovative yet largely undifferentiated avalanche of Android based devices, there was a dream, a vision to create unique Linux software for a new class of Nokia devices.

There are plenty of opinions that this announcement marks the end of MeeGo. Personally, I do not subscribe to that view. MeeGo, and the open source projects that are part of it, has a place in open source mobile Linux, and in many cases will continue to evolve and thrive. Of course, Android and iOS today, and in prior years BREW and J2ME, have proven the virtuous circle of linking the success of proliferating a mobile software stack with the number and volume of devices that ship with it. Sure, Nokia’s decision to reduce the number of MeeGo devices will have a negative impact on the proliferation of MeeGo in mobile phones. Let’s get over it and consider a few things.

MeeGo is a ‘distribution’ that is made of many leading-edge open source projects and libraries such as oFono and ConnMan , which will continue to be mission-critical components to realize Linux projects for netbook, tablet and automotive projects. MeeGo also continues to be a viable choice for device manufacturers looking to enter a competitive mobile market providing a clearly differentiated experience. QT is way too entrenched in too many markets to disappear. And as we have seen with smartphones and tablets, virtuous enablement circles increasingly spill over from one device category to another – giving a whole new meaning to the concept of expanding into adjacent markets within the mobile space.

With all of this promise, today is not the day to only say that MeeGo stakeholders will not ‘blink’ in the face of adversity. Being able to blink or not makes no difference when one’s head is in the sand.

Today is the day to seize the opportunity and lay out a new agenda for MeeGo. An agenda that is focused on efficiently executing small, innovation-driven tasks, not sponsoring bloated engineering programs. An agenda that is relentlessly market driven. An agenda that incorporates the requirements from the operator community as the baseline for all smartphone activity, while at the same time forces them to invest and participate in realizing their stated service differentiation objectives  (in a way the LiMo Foundation was never able to do). We need to rethink the approach and priority of quality assurance and compliance for MeeGo along distinct device-specific profiles so that rapid enablement can move from being a PowerPoint objective to reality. We need to work out clear views what is really required to ship devices into the market in 2011, even if some features are missing. That’s what FOTA is for. We need to stop trying to be best in class in everything – let’s learn from Android and Apple to focus on what matters.

Quite simply, today is the day to move beyond ‘burning platforms’ and set a new agenda for MeeGo 2.0.

Virtualization on Handsets or not?

By Mark Hermeling

Here is an interesting article, continuing a discussion thats has been going on for a long time on mobile virtualization. It argues the case that a single mobile phone can run multiple operating systems using virtualization. A bit of googling will show that this is indeed already the case. However, there is a big caveat typically that you do not see exposed. 

Mobile phones have two big constraints: processing power and battery power. Typically one operating systems is the 'phone operating system' and the other OS is more general purpose. With 'phone OS' I mean that the OS has to handle a lot of the time critical tasks, sometimes even to the level of passing data off to/from the signal processing side for communication with the antenna and the wireless network.

The signal processing side is very time sensitive and hence it is important that the time constraints are met and data is delivered/picked up on the right time. This makes it that typically the virtualization layer will have to be aware of this and it makes the solution not a general virtualization solution, but a highly device customized solution.

The other solution (mostly used with Windows or Linux/Android type devices) is to just run everything on one OS. This of course works as well, but has limitations in the area of security, stability, upgradability and more. The biggest issue is that the phone side and the general purpose side run on the same kernel and in the same OS address space, this makes security much more difficult to guarantee. Also applying fixes to the OS to correct phone glitches may impact the general purpose side. It is all one big ball of spaghetti, difficult to understand and untangle when needed.

My vote is on the virtualization solution, the concepts mentioned above hold for not just mobile phones, but virtually (pun intended :) any device in the market today. Whether it is a multifunctional printer, a network switch, industrial control, automotive, aerospace and defence or another application, virtualization can help put multiple 'personalities' on your device for the various tasks that you may have to do (from real-time and safe&secure to general purpose).

Virtualization can help here, but it will have to be embedded virtualization, with that we mean that the virtualization layer can be optimized for a particular device and that the device-builder has all the tools to fine-tune the virtualization layer to the device, OS and application he is building. With fine-tune we typically mean the fine-tuning of sharing and/or partitioning of processing cores, memory and devices. Embedded virtualization provides the flexibility and the tools to perform this fine-tuning, for an example, have a look at the Wind River Hypervisor.