The deal lets Bsquare distribute S3 Control Embedded outside the U.S., too, albeit not on an exclusive basis. The distribution deal is the second of the month for the embedded software specialist, which earlier acquired worldwide rights to license Adobe's Flash Lite software to OEMs building mobile and embedded Windows devices.

S3 Control Embedded

Solidcore says its S3 Control Embedded software provides system administrators with "real-time change tracking with minimal consumption of CPU, memory, disk and network resources." The product comprises endpoint software installed on each Windows XP Embedded client, along with a central console server running Oracle Database Server 10g on Windows Server 2003.


S3 Control logs all changes in a central database
(Click to enlarge)
User actions logged by the software include any changes to:

• Files, including the Windows registry
  
• Network configurations
  
• Databases

Pre-built and customized filters are available to limit change capture to items of interest, the company said.

Unlike some competing products that merely take periodic snapshots of systems, S3 Control Embedded tracks changes continuously, Solidcore claims. Therefore, it is able to catch even changes that are quickly reversed. Further, change data is available even when the thin client being tracked is offline.


S3 Control's database shows changes to each thin client
(Click to enlarge)

Solidcore says S3 Control Embedded can ensure that only software certified by the device owner can be applied to the device during manufacturing and in production and none other. Alternatively, it can also allow selected channel partners to be able to make updates to the device, then log the updates that were made.

Additionally, according to Solidcore, S3 Control Embedded can help enforce compliance with requirements relative to Payment Card Industry (PCI), Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), and other regulatory mandates, including ensuring that the necessary tamper-proof audit logs are present on the device.

Larry Stapleton, vice president of sales and marketing for Bsquare, said in a statement, "Globally, OEMs are shipping embedded devices to the marketplace that are vulnerable to several types of change control risks, ranging from traditional threats like viruses and malware, to internal threats such as employee sabotage."

Further Information

The S3 Control Embedded Endpoint requires 256 MB of RAM. In addition to supporting Windows XP Embedded-based devices, endpoints are available for Windows XP Professional, Windows NT Server, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2003 Server, and various flavors of Linux or Unix. Pricing information was not released, but the distribution agreement apparently takes effect immediately.

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