Press Releases

INFOCITY Boot-up Loader for MontaVista Linux is Now Available

SUNNYVALE, Calif. and TOKYO, July 8 2003 — MontaVista Software, Inc., the company powering the embedded revolution, and INFOCITY, Inc. today announced that INFOCITY’s new product FlashBoot, supports MontaVista® Linux® Professional Edition 3.0 (Pro) as its first reference operating system (OS).

FlashBoot is a bootup module that enables safe loading of the OS running on a range of information appliances. FlashBoot loads the MontaVista Linux kernel from flash memory and boots up after initializing the device hardware. By supporting the JFFS2 file system, FlashBoot enables HDD-less boot-up with easy system configuration. Multiplexed system management capabilities allow users to select or boot any of multiple kernels on flash ROM, and upgrade the system in a stable and simple way even after the product is shipped. Using duplicated booting images and memory check features, systems can boot easily and in a stable fashion. In the event of system failure during the creation of the OS boot images, FlashBoot provides a safe re-start using backup boot images.

MontaVista Linux Professional Edition 3.0 is successfully being deployed in a wide range of markets including consumer electronics. Pro offers the widest support for processor architectures and boards as well as validation with several key third party middleware applications and APIs. The embedded MontaVista Linux OS is capable of booting up on the compact size of ROM and is optimized for various digital consumer appliances such as PDAs, mobile phones, audio-video equipment, and IP telephones.

“MontaVista Software will benefit from INFOCITY’s FlashBoot, as stable system boot-up is an integral requirement for consumer electronics,” said Hitoshi Arima, vice president of sales in Japan, MontaVista Software. “The combination of FlashBoot and MontaVista Linux, with its stability, scalability and real-time performance, lets our consumer device customers meet challenging end-user requirements.”

“INFOCITY is strong in application development and system configuration,” said Gouta Iwanami, managing director of INFOCITY, Inc. “By collaborating with MontaVista Software, the leading embedded Linux vendor in the market, to create new tools for the embedded Linux device market, we will help manufacturers achieve further reduction in costs, while speeding their products to market.”

Availability
MontaVista Linux Professional Edition is available as a product subscription through MontaVista Software and its worldwide distribution channels. MontaVista Linux product subscriptions provide developer teams with the MontaVista Linux kernel, deployment components, utilities, development tools, software updates, access to the MontaVista Zone and comprehensive technical support.

The reference design version of FlashBoot for RadicalTV with basic functions was validated running on MontaVista Linux in May 2003. Radical TV is INFOCITY’s advanced set-top box reference software implementation for broadcasting and broadband communications. A MIPS version of FlashBoot for MontaVista Linux will be available from INFOCITY in Q3, 2003.

About MontaVista Software
MontaVista Software is a leading global supplier of systems software for intelligent connected devices and associated infrastructure. MontaVista powers the embedded revolution by providing GNU/Linux-based open-source software solutions. Founded in 1999 by real-time operating system (RTOS) pioneer James Ready, MontaVista offers a family of products under the MontaVista Linux umbrella that address broad-based software developer needs encompassing applications ranging from communications infrastructure to consumer electronics. Multiple Editions of MontaVista Linux are available including Professional, Consumer Electronics and Carrier Grade, along with complementary technology products providing powerful Java and graphics development capabilities.

Headquartered in the heart of Silicon Valley, in Sunnyvale, Calif., MontaVista Software is a privately held company funded by leading investors such as Alloy Ventures, US Venture Partners, RRE Ventures, WR Hambrecht + Co., IBM, Intel Capital, Sony, Panasonic (Matsushita), Toshiba America and Yamaha Corporation. For more information about MontaVista Software, please visit http://www.mvista.com.

About INFOCITY
INFOCITY, established in 1982, and based on the concept of Digital Media Technology, develops software for digital media. The company provides bitcast® technology, advanced integrated TV applications for PCs, broadband delivery systems, and management systems for granting of copyrights. INFOCITY also produces Radical TV®, a DVR (Digital Video Recorder) architecture for highly functional broadcasting/communication STBs, which incorporates an HDD video recorder function.. INFOCITY is committed to an epoch of broadband Internet, ubiquitous networking, sophisticated digital broadcasting, and new generation mobile communications. For more information, please visit http://www.INFOCITY.co.jp

Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. MontaVista is a registered trademark of MontaVista Software, Inc. INFOCITY, RadicalTV, and bitcast are registered trademarks of INFOCITY, Inc.. All other names mentioned are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective companies.

Contacts:

MontaVista Software
Joe Samagond
Director of Marketing and Corporate Communications
MontaVista Software
Phone (408) 328-9234
E-mail: jsamagond@mvista.com

Patricia Colby
PR Strategy and Business Development
Pacifico, Inc.
Phone: (408) 293 8600 x340
E-mail: pcolby@pacifico.com

INFOCITY
Sentaro Tamura
General Manager
Consumer Electronics Development Division
INFOCITY,Inc.
Tokyo, Japan
Phone:+81-3-5469-5620
E-Mail:radicaltv@infocity.co.jp