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.
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