Readers of Virtualization Journal know that virtualization provides enormous
benefits to makers and users of computing platforms ranging from desktops, to
servers, and even supercomputers. The reasons for this are now obvious; cost
savings through server consolidation, reduced administrative costs, and
greater flexibility. Less obvious may be the degree to which virtualization
can benefit deeply embedded applications such as cell phones, networking
equipment, and point of sales terminals. While there are similarities
in some of the value propositions involved, there are also substantial
differences due to the more challenging timing and resource budgets of
embedded devices. Real-time processing in embedded applications puts a
premium on low latency, highly determinis... (more)