Linux distributor looks east

Linux distributor MontaVista Software has purchased a Seoul-based company to meet the growing demand from Korean device manufacturers and software developers for MontaVista embedded Linux software and services.

MontaVista Software Korea was established four years ago as a joint venture between MontaVista and other investors, and has now been acquired in full by MontaVista.

The entire sales and services staff have become employees of MontaVista and will help MontaVista support Samsung, LG Electronics, ETRI and its other Korean customers in the use of MontaVista Linux to in electronic devices and embedded applications.

Tom Kelly, president and chief executive of MontaVista Software, said: "We expect to sign more than 50 agreements with 30 Korean companies this year alone.

"We are making this investment to build closer relationships with our Korean customers, and with the markets they help drive."

The former Korean joint venture is now a wholly-owned subsidiary of MontaVista Software and will provide sales, support and consulting engineering services to electronic device designers.

This is to help them use MontaVista DevRocket development tools to customise MontaVista Linux and implement new devices and software platforms running on MontaVista Linux open-source operating system software.