WIND Overview

Founded in 1981 by partners Jerry Fiddler and Dave Wilner, Wind River Systems Inc. (WIND) is in business to develop, market and sell operating systems, middleware and software development tools that allow its customers to develop, run, and manage their device products, also known as device software optimization (DSO).

Middleware, which typically sits “in the middle” between the operating system and the application software, is its own software that connect various software components or applications and allows multiple processes to run on one or more machines to interact across several networks. This software includes web servers, application servers, and similar tools that support application development and delivery.

Fiddler and Wilner first met as colleagues at the University of California at Berkeley where Fiddler was a computer software writer working on control systems for the school. Control systems are devices used to manage, direct, regulate and command other systems or devices. Although Fiddler excelled at his profession, his true passion laid with composing computer-generated music. Early on, Fiddler worked for the NFL and well-renowned director, Francis Ford Coppola, in which he designed a specific film editing system for Coppola.

Later on, Wilner would enter the picture and the collaboration of the minds soon accelerated. Reverting all of their attention to software writing, Wind River, named for a place in Wyoming, was soon incorporated in 1983, with the two founders fronting the start-up capital.

Today, the company’s operations focus primarily on their middleware software, which is used in operating systems for information appliances and devices. These applications are used in such items as digital cameras, cell phones, traffic signals, computer routers and within the auto industry as part of a vehicle’s auto-braking system (ABS). The company’s products have also been used in digital projectors, navigation systems, coronary pacemakers and on the infamous Mars Rovers.

Wind River’s original product, VxWorks, is a real-time operating system whose sole purpose is intended for embedded devices. An embedded system is a special-purpose computer system designed to perform multiple functions as part of a complete device including hardware and mechanical parts.

VxWorks operating systems are a commercial, off-the-shelf (COTS) development and run-time platforms that provides various applications, including debugging, that is built on industry-leading tools, commercial-grade real-time operating systems (RTOS), and tightly integrated run-time technologies.

The VxWorks platforms offer small memory footprints, real-time performance, mission-critical reliability and high levels of security, while providing advanced networking protocols, security, wireless, and mobility capabilities for markets such as wireless infrastructure, network infrastructure and consumer devices.

The company also provides a Linux operating system, which allows device manufacturers to integrate, select, test, debug, build and provide support for multiple system packages. Running on Wind River’s VxWorks and Linux-based platforms, the company’s Workbench software supports tools for developing, testing, and optimizing device software. Workbench also provides device test solutions that allow customers to test, diagnose and resolve defects in device software.

Wind River currently services several device manufactures throughout North America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Japan, and the Asia Pacific region.

The company also relies on strategic associations with ARM Holdings PLC (ARMHY), Broadcom Corporation (BRCM), Cavium Networks (CAVM), Freescale Semiconductor Inc. (FSL), IBM Corporation (IBM), Intel Corporation (INTC), MIPS Technologies Inc. (MIPS), NEC Corporation (NIPNF.PK) NXP B.V., Qualcomm Incorporated (QCOM), RadiSys Corporation (RSYS), Sun Microsystems (JAVA), Texas Instruments Incorporated (TXN), Toshiba Corporation (TOSBF.PK), Xilinx Inc. (XLNX), Renesas Inc., and Emerson Network Power.

As of June 2009, Wind River competes with publicly traded companies such as Microsoft Corp. (MSFT), largely the Windows CE and Windows NT Embedded products and Mentor Graphics Inc. (MENT). In addition, the company vies against private entities such as MontaVista Software Inc., LynuxWorks Inc., TimeSys Corporation, ENEA OSE Systems AB, LynuxWorks Inc., Green Hills Software Inc. and QNX Software Systems Ltd.

By BetterTrades