According to Bsquare, the newly renewed distribution agreement will be in effect starting today and running through Dec. 31. After that, "Microsoft anticipates introducing updated agreements for its distributors," Bsquare stated.
Microsoft says Bsquare distributes or supports the following embedded operating systems in the U.S.:
- Windows CE 5.0
- Windows Embedded CE 6.0
- Windows Mobile
- Windows NT Embedded
- Windows XP Embedded
- Windows Embedded Standard
- Windows Embedded NavReady
- Windows Embedded POSReady
Bsquare is also said to be a key supplier for some lesser-known offerings from Microsoft: namely, standard desktop OSes that are sold to embedded OEMs with special pricing and licensing terms. These products include the following:
- Microsoft DOS
- Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems
- Windows Server for Embedded Solutions
- Windows Vista for Embedded Systems
Other businessIn addition to its Microsoft business, Bsquare is also a key supplier of other software required by embedded developers. For example, it distributes
Adobe's Flash Lite as well as
Solidcore's S3 Control Embedded software. It also offers a proprietary
SDIO stack, software for signage appliances, and a variety of reference designs.
As Bsquare noted in a
first-quarter financial report released in May, it has collaborated with Texas Instruments (TI) to
create a Windows Mobile 6.5 BSP (board support package) for the chipmaker's ARM Cortex A8-based
OMAP35x family of processors. Last year, Bquare announced a
3G Wireless Dev Kit -- including a Sierra Wireless MC5727 embedded radio module certified for EV-DO Revision A networks, plus pre-integrated Windows CE 6 radio interface layer (RIL) software -- designed to work with the
OMAP3530 and an
EVM (evaluation module) produced for TI by Mistral Solutions.
Selected by Microsoft as a Microsoft Auto training partner, Bsquare says it is now developing multiple levels of training courses for automakers, automotive suppliers and a growing channel of partners developing in-car technology. For example, the company adds, it has worked with Ford to provide services related to the automaker's Windows CE-based
Sync automotive technology.
While Bsquare's work is mostly Microsoft-centric, the company has apparently also been instrumental in, for example, helping extend Adobe's Flash technology to Google's Linux-based Android operating system for smartphones. For further details, see our sister site
LinuxDevices.com,
here.
Further informationMore details about Bsquare's collaboration with Microsoft may be found on the latter's website,
here.
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