QNX 8 goes freeware – for non-commercial use – The Register

QNX Software Systems has announced the availability of the QNX Neutrino 8 operating system, with all its commercial features and add-ons, free for non-commercial use. The offer includes a variety of development tools, as well as a fully integrated IDE (integrated development environment) for the creation of commercial quality embedded systems. Developers can use the operating system to develop embedded systems without having to pay for commercial licenses.

The move comes as the Canadian software developer, recently acquired by Harman, seeks to push into new markets, specifically those in embedded systems for connected devices, industrial and medical.

“This program allows developers and enthusiasts around the world to build new and innovative embedded applications,” says QNX President Dan Dodge.

“The widespread use of QNX technology will only further expand its leadership in automotive and industrial markets,” he said.

A commercial license remains available to developers who intend to make revenue from their projects and gives developers access to more advanced features and a larger development team.

QNX’s move appears to be a successful way to get its technologies into the hands of more developers who, in time, could become potential commercial users.

The software development environment and platform, which targets a broad range of embedded development opportunities, has become increasingly popular in recent years as the technology’s focus shifted to internet connected device applications.

In recent years, the automotive and industrial markets, among many others, have become particularly hot spots for developers looking for new application opportunities for the operating system.

Many other companies and institutions have successfully employed the system. NASA has used QNX technology for everything from rocket launch control to the Curiosity rover.

QNX 8 is used by companies, such as Cisco Systems, Motorola, Ford, Siemens, Caterpillar, Rockwell Automation and Samsung. Its long pedigree dates back to the first versions of the operating system in 1982, which ran on microprocessors based on the Motorola 68000, Intel x86 and other popular processor architectures.

With its free-to-use offer, QNX is attempting to position itself among developers, particularly those interested in connected systems. However, its ability to expand market reach comes with the danger of losing its competitive edge to more popular platforms such as Android, Linux, and the newer real-time operating system (RTOS), FreeRTOS. The potential for competing platforms to draw developers away from QNX remains a long-term risk that the company faces.

Despite the risks, the move appears to be a logical approach, taking advantage of the increasing number of connected device developments.

By providing a free development environment for embedded devices, QNX has an opportunity to reach new market segments, while gaining exposure to potentially lucrative opportunities.

QNX 8 comes with all the familiar, time-tested technologies found in the commercial version, which makes its development and deployment simpler for developers familiar with the OS.

Whether the free software version will grow the company’s future, while providing new market potential, remains to be seen.

In a related move, QNX Software Systems also announced that it will provide a new SDK for development.

The software, QNX Momentics IDE, is an IDE built with Eclipse. The IDE is available to developers free of charge to encourage faster development time and to improve coding skills, even among inexperienced coders.

Both free versions, the QNX Neutrino operating system and QNX Momentics IDE, can be downloaded from the company website.