VirtualLogix

VirtualLogix Hooks Up With Freescale Semiconductor To Secure Mobile Commerce

June 19, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

VirtualLogix today announced that it has entered into a collaboration agreement with Freescale Semiconductor to create a trusted environment for mobile devices and other terminals that can be used in particular to ensure security of mobile commerce (m-commerce) transactions.

VirtualLogix VLX for Mobile Handsets virtualization technology will be incorporated into the Freescale Semiconductor i.MX31 multimedia applications processor to create an isolated Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), independent of the main application open operating system (open OS), which protects mobile devices from m-commerce security threats.

By adding VLX realtime virtualization on the i.MX31 applications processor, the open OS is securely isolated from a closed TEE where m-commerce transactions safely occur on the mobile phone or device. These measures protect against m-commerce security threats such as keystroke logging and phishing attacks.

VirtualLogix Conforms to Open Mobile Terminal Platform Security

May 22, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

VirtualLogix announced its continued commitment to the Open Mobile Terminal Platform (OMTP) by submitting a Product Profile Statement in conformance with the organization’s new mobile hardware security recommendations designed to help protect against threats such as malware and fraud attacks. The OMTP is an operator-sponsored forum that gathers and drives mobile terminal requirements.

According to the press release, VirtualLogix VLX for Mobile Handsets is among the first products to conform to the “Advanced Trusted Environment” security recommendations through the OMTP Product Profile Statement.

In its “Advanced Trusted Environment” paper, OMTP focuses on the full set of hardware security requirements that will enable new mobile services to be run in a protected and secure environment. In addition to its Recommendations Papers, OMTP offers its Product Profile process, an online tool that enables network operators, device manufacturers and platform and technology providers to quickly compare and contrast technology offerings that can deliver compliance against the OMTP Recommendations. By conforming to the new “Advanced Trusted Environment” requirements VirtualLogix is helping set the baseline for hardware security in mobile devices for the next five to ten years.

[Source: EDA Geek]

VirtualLogix Introduces VLX vHA, Aims To Lead In High-Availability Assurance For Virtualized Environments

May 5, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

VirtualLogix today released VLX vHA, which it claims is the industry’s first solution that enables high-availability (HA) assurances for communications equipment utilizing virtualization. VLX vHA comes integrated with VLX for Network Infrastructure and aims to increase system availability without the cost and scalability restrictions of traditional solutions.

“There are growing requirements to increase the up-time of all types of communications equipment in today’s competitive environment. Yet traditionally, high-availability techniques have been mostly applied in high-end core networks due to complexity and hardware cost,” said Mark Milligan, Vice President of Marketing at VirtualLogix. “Now, VLX vHA enables our customers to take full advantage of high availability combined with virtualization. Built on an open architecture supporting standard Service Availability Forum interfaces, VLX vHA also provides a viable option for organizations looking to utilize their existing high-availability software in the new, virtualized, multicore environment.”

VLX vHA offers fault recovery and system management services across virtual and physical domains, allowing companies to increase the availability of communications equipment and other critical embedded systems. vHA also offers scalability with wide range capabilities from hardware and guest OS management to the restart of applications from a known state. This allows the introduction of the appropriate level of availability based on system requirements.

VLX vHA is available as an option with VLX for Network Infrastructure real-time virtualization software.

[Source: LinuxDevices]

Motorola Joins Investors Behind VirtualLogix (Update)

April 21, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

According to PC World, Motorola has joined Cisco, Intel and Texas Instruments in funding mobile virtualization company VirtualLogix (see our previous coverage). Update: the official release went over the wire.

VirtualLogix lets a user access two separate operating systems on the same handset with its VLX for Mobile Handsets product line – allowing them to share some resources like memory, but also keeping other areas, such as applications, securely apart.

Today, the company plans to announce that Motorola is a new investor in the company. Motorola is interested in VirtualLogix primarily for its mobile phones, but has also expressed an interest in using it for virtualization in its network equipment, reportedly said Peter Richards, CEO of VirtualLogix.

More when the official announcement comes in!

Update: the official word is in, but doesn’t provide much more details. Motorola made the equity investment through Motorola Ventures, its strategic capital arm, without disclosing the size of the investment.

Motorola joins VirtualLogix’s current investors Atlas Venture, Cisco Systems, DFJ Esprit, Index Ventures, Intel Capital and Texas Instruments. The company raised $16 million in series B last July, and got an extra (undisclosed) equity investment from Texas Instruments last December. The total amount invested in the company so far is $28 million, and the company says it is open to more strategic investors joining the club.

Noteworthy, however, is the comment that was added by our media contact, which shows Motorola’s ambition:

“Motorola is rising to the challenge of competing against competitors like the iPhone to develop disruptive new handsets, that will be less expensive to develop, while providing a much richer user experience. Virtualization can give one phone two different personalities, making it possible to switch between work functionality and fun applications, even between plans and accounts on one device.”

[Source: SMS Text News]

VirtualLogix’ VLX for Network Infrastructure Now Available for Power Architectures

April 16, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

VirtualLogix today announced that its VLX for Network Infrastructure is now available for Power Architecture based processors. Using VLX virtualization software, multiple operating systems may run simultaneously on shared hardware, “enabling networking and telecommunication equipment manufacturers to inject new functionalities into existing product lines and extend product lifecycles – while slicing costs by consolidating existing products into a multifunction system”.

According to the company, VLX for Network Infrastructure, supporting Power Architecture, speeds the adoption of rich open source software by combining Linux with real-time operating systems on shared hardware without compromising the system’s deterministic realtime behavior.

“This seamless integration is due to the advanced capabilities of VLX that allow multiple guest operating systems to run simultaneously in a number of different configurations based on performance and security criteria. As a result, users can extend the lifetime of existing designs by adding extra partitions to run upgraded or new features and consolidate functionality. By simplifying the hardware design, organizations reduce bill-of-materials and development costs, and reduce power consumption.”

New VLX for Network Infrastructure, supporting Power Architecture, features include:

Real-Time Virtualization – allows developers to run a combination of guest operating systems including Linux and a customer’s choice of real-time OS while keeping the real-time performance characteristics of their overall system.
Consolidation of hardware platforms – developers can consolidate Linux and mission-critical environments onto a single hardware platform, reducing system complexity and product bill-of-material costs.
Introduces support for Freescale’s popular PowerQUICC processors – includes support for the Integrated Communications and Host Processors from Freescale as well as the 32-bit PowerPC microprocessors from IBM.

[Source: VMblog]

VirtualLogix Adds Support For Intel VT-d, Now Fit For Windows Environments

April 1, 2008 by Robin Wauters Leave a Comment

VirtualLogix has updated the Intel Architecture (IA) version of its embedded virtualization stack, which targets performance-critical telecom and datacom applications. VLX for Network Infrastructure (VLX-NI) 3.0 adds support for Intel VT-d (virtualization technology for directed I/O), Microsoft Windows guests, and Core Microarchitecture 3.0, while adding new Eclipse-based set-up tools.

VirtualLogix made the announcement at the Multicore Expo today in Santa Clara, where it also announced having joined the Multicore Association. From the press release:

VirtualLogix’s new release blends the rich Microsoft Windows operating system environment with the existing capabilities of real-time operating systems (RTOS) or Linux by applying real-time virtualization technology on platforms using multicore processors.

Communications applications often require separate hardware to handle Windows interfaces and mission-critical portions of the equipment. VirtualLogix’s real-time virtualization software simplifies the design by allowing all software to share a common hardware platform. With VLX for Network Infrastructure v3.0, networking and telecommunication equipment makers can quickly develop next-generation products, reduce development and bill-of-material costs and lower power consumption. In the industrial and automation markets, where Windows is also widely used to provide user friendly interfaces to machinery, VLX is able to support the time-sensitive control and signal processing functions these areas demand.

[Source: LinuxDevices – who also interviewed VirtualLogix’s VP of Marketing, Mark Milligan]