World’s No. 1 Microcontroller Supplier and Manufacturer Increases Commitment to Linux Community and Advances Embedded Linux
TOKYO, LinuxCon Japan, May 21, 2014 – The Linux Foundation, the nonprofit organization dedicated to accelerating the growth of Linux and collaborative development, today announced that Renesas Electronics Corporation is increasing its engagement with Linux and The Linux Foundation to become a Gold Member. The company joins existing Linux Foundation Gold members China Mobile, Cisco, Citrix, ETRI, Google, Hitachi, Huawei, NetApp, NYSE Technologies, Panasonic, SUSE, Toyota and Verizon Terremark.
Renesas Electronics is a premier supplier of advanced semiconductor solutions, including microcontrollers (MCUs), systems-on-chip (SoC) solutions and a broad range of analog and power devices. A Linux Foundation member since 2011, the Japan-based company focuses on next-generation automotive and other increasingly sophisticated electronics that are running Linux.
As a leading provider of semiconductors for the automotive industry, Renesas’ products are playing a key role in smart car developments. Encouraged by recent IHS Automotive estimates that global sales of Linux in automotive will rise to 53.7 million units by 2020, Renesas is aggressively investing in the open source OS as it gains traction with infotainment systems. For example, Renesas provides the latest state-of-the-art 3D graphics technology with its R-Car Systems-on-Chip lineup.
“Linux and collaborative development are the optimal ways to provide higher value and address increased system complexity,” said Hisao Munakata, Executive Manager of Automotive Information System Business Division, Renesas Electronics Corporation. “Our Linux engagement directly maps to growth in embedded industries. Deepening our ties with the Linux Foundation will help us create a whole new level of IT interoperability to radically transform emissions, safety, convenience and vehicle connectivity and applications.”
One of the first companies to participate in the Automotive Grade Linux project, Renesas recently upped its engagement in the Automotive Grade Linux Workgroup focused on optimizing Linux for automotive use. Working with other industry leaders such as Hitachi, LG Electronics, Qualcomm Atheros and others, Renesas also co-founded the LTSI kernel, a crucial initiative working to create a usable platform for the majority of embedded systems.
Renesas is participating in LinuxCon Japan today in Tokyo and contributes to the Consumer Electronics Workgroup and the Yocto Project, a complete embedded Linux development environment within the Linux Foundation.
“Renesas is a long-time Linux Foundation supporter that recognizes the power of collaborative development to advance embedded Linux opportunities in the market,” said Jim Zemlin, Executive Director, the Linux Foundation. “Their increased Linux investment is a testament to its strategic value within today’s modern semiconductor industry that’s producing powerful new industrial and automotive applications and explosive growth with tablets, smartphones, and hundreds of other connected devices.”
About The Linux Foundation
The Linux Foundation is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to fostering the growth of Linux and collaborative software development. Founded in 2000, the organization sponsors the work of Linux creator Linus Torvalds and promotes, protects and advances the Linux operating system and collaborative software development by marshaling the resources of its members and the open source community. The Linux Foundation provides a neutral forum for collaboration and education by hosting Collaborative Projects, Linux conferences, including LinuxCon, and generating original research and content that advances the understanding of Linux and collaborative software development. More information can be found at www.linuxfoundation.org.
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Trademarks: The Linux Foundation, Linux Standard Base, MeeGo, Tizen, and Yocto Project are trademarks of The Linux Foundation. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds.