Intel snaps up Wind River to boost mobile presence

US chip shop Intel stepped up its game in the mobile space on Friday, announcing the acquisition of mobile and embedded devices software firm Wind River for $884m.

Wind River, also based in the US, makes operating systems and middleware for a variety of embedded systems from in-car computers to the Mars rovers, by way of traffic light systems and mobile phones. The company is best known for its VxWorks real time OS and its commercial grade Linux platforms.

Intel said the acquisition is part of its strategy to grow its processor and software presence outside the traditional PC and server market segments into embedded systems and mobile handheld devices.

The company has recently moved its presence in the mobile space up a gear with the introduction of the Atom chipset platform, which is used in the new breed of ultra portable netbook devices or MIDs (Mobile Internet Devices) that many industry players expect to be the next big thing in terms of potential markets. However, analysts have warned that Intel-based gadgets are expected to take a back seat to those powered by mobile industry heavyweight ARM.

Intel also has a focus on the mobile Linux space using the Moblin platform as an umbrella focused on the development of Linux for Intel-based devices.

The Moblin project incorporates Intel’s Mobile Internet Device (MID) architecture as well as various other consumer electronic devices.