In March last year, Ottawa-based real-time, embedded microkernel operating system technology provider QNX Software System Ltd granted Singapore-based i-Logics Embedded Pte Ltd the rights to offer QNX-certified training across South-East Asia.The Singaporean company plans to start offering QNX courses locally this month, from its premises in Kuala Lumpur's Megan Phileo Promenade.
The courses will cover Wind River's VxWorks and QNX's Neutrino real-time embedded operating systems, the QNX Momentics development suite, Bluecat from Linux Works and Windows CE from Microsoft.
A Gartner Group report published last year predicted that the global embedded and telecommunications market will be worth US$1 trillion (RM3.8 trillion) by 2005.
"By then, large multinational manufacturers will be demanding that their technical and engineering staff be able to program embedded systems," i-Logics Embedded Sdn Bhd chief executive officer G.A. Mathew told In.Tech last week.
"With the high cost of retraining or 're-skilling' employees' in the United States and Europe, more jobs like embedded systems programming and design will move to Asia where product development costs are 50% less," he said.
Embedded systems refer to code hardwired into read-only or Flash memory chips, and is used in a host of devices, from industrial controllers in factories to cellphones, TV set-top boxes, personal digital assistants, video players, washing machines, cars, intelligent fridges and so on.