The goal of Microsoft was obviously to create an ecosystem around ThreadX and X-Ware to provide a straightforward and secure integration with Azure IoT cloud services. One example of this change of trend was Amazon taking FreeRTOS under its wing and integrating it as part of AWS.Īnd now we are back at the acquisition of Express Logic by Microsoft.
Akin to semiconductor vendors wanting a more complete software and hardware solution for their customers, cloud companies are now searching to provide a more integrated, more seamless solution to bridge the gap between the edge and the cloud. IoT brought an incentive for enterprise cloud companies to get closer to the edge. That trend changed somewhat with the rise of interest in connected devices and more specifically the Internet of Things (IoT). True to that trend, semiconductor companies were also the most eager to partner with RTOS vendors for instance Renesas selecting Express Logic’s portfolio to develop the Renesas Synergy platform. We can remember for example the acquisition of Micrium and the uC/OS RTOS by Silicon Labs or if we go back a bit further the acquisition of MQX by ARC. Historically, semiconductor manufacturers were the players interested in the acquisition of embedded software vendors. Looking back, the acquisition of one of the leading RTOS providers by an enterprise software and cloud company wasn’t unexpected, but it was unusual from the point of view of industry veterans. Microsoft has since created Azure RTOS around ThreadX and X-Ware, with an obvious focus on connectivity and IoT. Along with ThreadX was the X-Ware suite of communication, connectivity and storage IPs. Synergy X Website: a year ago, Microsoft acquired Express Logic and their flagship product the ThreadX Real Time Operating System (RTOS).