IBM today announced it is working with MontaVista
Software, Inc. to make its Hard Hat Linux operating system
available for IBM’s PowerPC based single-chip Set-Top Box (STB)
Controller.Combining high-performance PowerPC-based STB controllers with
Linux-based open standards software, IBM is providing electronics
manufacturers with the ability to develop new classes of home
gateway products such as television set-top boxes, that will serve
as an interactive medium between content and service providers and
consumers. Netgem, one of Europe’s leading developers of
interactive services applications, plans to develop new products
based on the IBM STB controllers running the Hard Hat Linux
operating system.Advanced STBs are part of the fast-growing category of
“pervasive computing” devices helping to make information available
to more people in more ways.