Red Bend buys VirtualLogix for mobile virtualization

Red Bend, a mobile software management company, has acquired VirtualLogix to stake its claim in the emerging field of mobile virtualization.

VirtualLogix develops virtualization software for both x86 and Arm processors and is focused on mobile virtualization, which separates software from the mobile hardware it runs on. The new technology makes software development and updating faster and cheaper, according to Lori Sylvia, Red Bend's executive vice president of marketing.

By using the VirtualLogix software, a chipmaker can design new silicon without having to tightly integrate each chip design with a particular operating system, Sylvia said. For example, ST-Ericsson is reusing its existing real-time operating system in chipsets with VirtualLogix software, she said. The chipsets will be able to run the Android operating system at the same time, and that OS could later be replaced with Symbian, she said. The goal is to cut down integration work to save costs, bringing smartphone capabilities to a new class of handsets.

In addition, Red Bend believes mobile virtualization will eventually allow mobile operators, handset makers and developers of individual applications to update their own software in the field independently, without having to work through the manufacturer, she said.

Both companies are privately held, and the terms of the deal were not disclosed. Red Bend, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, has about 120 employees and will absorb most of the 30 employees of VirtualLogix, which is based in Santa Clara, California. There are about 750 million mobile devices around the world equipped with Red Bend's software for over-the-air updates, Sylvia said.