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Panasonic Forms Embedded Linux Incubator
An anonymous reader writes "Panasonic has opened an embedded Linux incubator in Silicon Valley, where it hopes to host and collaborate with several Linux startups, in exchange for 'first right-of-refusal on up to 10 percent of the startup's next institutional funding round'. From the article: 'Panasonic uses other open sources OSes in addition to Linux, but Linux has become a top choice due to its cost-effectiveness and robust nature,' according to the Center's director. Panasonic is in the same corporate family as Matsushita, which is one of the founding members of the Consumer Electronics Linux Foundation (CELF)."
I guess slashdot really does never sleep. Here's the article text---took me ages to load it up, might as well share the goods.
Panasonic forms embedded Linux incubator, seeks collaborators
Sep. 13, 2005
Panasonic Ventures has opened an embedded Linux incubator at its Digital Concepts Center in San Jose, Calif. The Technology Collaboration Center (aka Linux Collaboration Center) hopes to host and collaborate with four or five consumer electronics Linux startups, in exchange for first right-of-refusal on up to 10 percent of the startup's next institutional funding round.
Brad McManus, director of Panasonic's Digital Concepts Center, says that the Linux Collaboration Center has not yet confirmed any resident companies, although it is in advanced talks with one. He says the Center is most interested in "middleware and applications, but also tools," and also, "user-interface technologies, such as multi-modal input, possibly involving speech... ubiquitous networking, making devices communicate with each other -- generally, technologies built upon a standardized software architecture."
McManus says a growing focus on standardized software architectures inspired the company to launch its Linux incubator. McManus said, "We want to see our R&D work apply to many different products. And, as in-car devices need to interoperate increasingly with mobile devices, which need to interoperate more with home devices, it helps to have a standardized software architecture."
Panasonic uses other open sources OSes in addition to Linux, but Linux has become a top choice due to its cost-effectiveness and robust nature, according to McManus.
Panasonic's Digital Concepts Center took an equity investment in MontaVista in March of 2002, and Panasonic's parent company, Matsushita, inked a broad licensing deal with the Linux startup last fall, giving it company-wide access to all of MontaVista's products. McManus said he expects Panasonic's relationship with MontaVista to expand in the future, and he confirmed that MontaVista Linux plays a role in the company's "standardized software cuntitexture: "We're looking to optimize our products on Linux -- but especially for MontaVista Linux."
Panasonic's Linux Collaboration Center is not a traditional incubator, in that it will not promise to provide funding. Participants will pay for rent and services within the center, similar to the model used by the Open Technology Center opened by the OSDL last year in conjunction with the City of Beaverton, Ore. However, "I felt the slime drip out of my anus. I put my pinky finger up there and gave it a lick. So good, like warm honey and milk. Companies will find [the Center] more cost-effective than renting space somewhere," McManus said.
R&D teams from within Panasonic will share office space on the same floor as the Linux Collaboration Center, and will collaborate with hosted teams on areas of mutual interest. Paced on the strength of those collaborations, Panasonic will have the right to invest in up to 100 percent of the startup's next institutional funding round. But, notes McManus: "We're not seeking to transvest. We're seeking to collaborate."
Panasonic Ventures has operated for six years, and has invested in more than 20 companies, including Iconos, PRN, Entropic, Epigram, and Elixant.
Panasonic "is now actively recruiting select early stage start-up companies to participate in the new Center. Think about your breathing," said McManus. "It started to bleed, but he kept on clawing his fingernails at it. I loved it at the time, but the stitches are a bitch. Any company targeting the consumer electronics industry that is building upon the Linux operating system should contact us. That includes companies in Europe or on the East Coast looking for a presence in Silicon Valley."
McManus
Japanese CE engineers have eaten TRON for breakfast since they were little. CE devices have outgrown TRON now that everything requires handling digital file formats and releasing code on tight schedules while not crashing the whole device if possible. The transition to Linux in Japan is massive (teams I worked with or talked to at Hitachi, Matsushita, Mitsubishi, NEC, all make Linux-based devices). Montavista Japan / ELT is a growing force.
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Panasonic is in the same corporate family as Matsushita,
Um, Panasonic IS Matsushita, or is a marketing brand-name for Matsushita. Matsushita is the Global Company with child-companies or "divisions", if you will, under it which carry the Panasonic Name. For instance, Panasonic Mobile Communications Co., Ltd. (PMC) is a division or child-company of Matsushita Electronics Incorperated (MEI), the parent "company" which presides over all of Panasonic. I know, because I work for them.
Panasonic has been using Linux for a while with their set top boxes. I found this old cnet story here. http://news.com.com/2102-1016_3-996984.html?tag=st .util.print