IBM this week announced the beta release of its new application development toolset for embedded systems. VisualAge for Embedded Systems, Java Technology Edition will allow users to speed up the development of software which connects small, intelligent devices to enterprise back-end systems over the Internet.
Developers can utilize Java technology and components to quickly create embedded systems applications, a process that is usually a painstakingly slow and expensive process. By using IBM’s new embedded toolset, programmers can build robust applications small enough for embedded devices.
The software was designed for building embedded applications which resemble traditional enterprise software, but are only less than one megabyte in size. These applications can run on small devices such as cellular phones, and communicate through workstations and departmental servers to mainframe based enterprise data.
Features of VisualAge for Embedded Systems include:
- A powerful cross-development environment
- Tools and an infrastructure for building components on multiple platforms
- The ability to create Java runtime components for these devices as small as 27 kilobytes
- Specialized class libraries and virtual machine technology
- Reusable components for connecting devices to enterprise back-end systems
VisualAge for Embedded Systems will soon be available for Intel x86, MIPS, PowerPC and ARM7100 platforms. To download a trial (beta) version of VisualAge for Embedded Systems, or for additional information, visit IBM’s VisualAge for Embedded Systems Web site.