QNX First RTOS Vendor to Seek EAL Security Certification for Multi-Core Kernel

Embedded Systems Conference, Booth 1338, San Jose, CALIF., April 15, 2008 — QNX Software Systems today announced that it has entered its QNX® Neutrino® realtime operating system (RTOS) into evaluation for the stringent requirements of Common Criteria certification to the Evaluation Assurance Level 4+ (EAL4+). The QNX Neutrino secure kernel has been registered for evaluation with the certification body of the Canadian Security Establishment, one of the global partner organizations authorized to issue Common Criteria (CC) certifications.

The Target of Evaluation (TOE) that QNX has submitted for EAL certification goes beyond the scope of registered offerings from other OS vendors. In an embedded industry first, QNX announced it will certify not only its mature OS kernel, but also its multi-core (symmetric and bound multiprocessing) and secure partitioning solutions. QNX secure partitioning for multi-core processors provides unparalleled system security and guaranteed resource allocation for embedded systems. Embedded developers using single-core or multi-core hardware can apply secure partitions in their designs to guarantee realtime response times and contain threats, while simultaneously maximizing resource usage and performance.

The certification program follows on the recent announcement declaring that the Open Group has awarded the QNX Neutrino operating system POSIX certification according to the guidelines of the IEEE POSIX PSE52 Realtime Controller 1003.13-2003 System product standard. PSE52 certification confirms that the QNX Neutrino RTOS delivers the predictable response times demanded by time-critical applications. Support of the POSIX open standard in embedded systems assures code portability and, in tandem with EAL certification, is increasingly being mandated for the military, security, and software defined radio (SDR) markets, as well as commercial applications.

“Security is a key priority for our customers, and our registration for Common Criteria certification demonstrates our commitment to deliver secure, reliable, and standards-based products,” said Dan Dodge, president and CTO of QNX Software Systems. “Including multi-core and partitioning capabilities in our EAL certification program is a further testament to delivering products that meet tomorrow’s design challenges for many segments of the embedded computing market.”

About Common Criteria
The Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation (the CC) is an international standard agreed to by the United States Government, Canada, and 23 other nations. It establishes standards for security functionality, security assurance, and security evaluation. Certification to EAL 4+ means that the QNX Neutrino secure kernel will exceed the assurance requirements required for EAL4, and will validate that the product has been methodically designed, tested, and reviewed.

About QNX Software Systems
QNX Software Systems, a Harman International company (NYSE: HAR), is the industry leader in realtime, embedded OS technology. The component-based architectures of the QNX® Neutrino® RTOS, QNX Momentics® development suite, and QNX Aviage® middleware together provide the industry’s most reliable and scalable framework for building innovative, high-performance embedded systems. Global leaders such as Cisco, Daimler, General Electric, Lockheed Martin, and Siemens depend on QNX technology for network routers, medical instruments, vehicle telematics units, security and defense systems, industrial robotics, and other mission- or life-critical applications. Founded in 1980, QNX Software Systems is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and distributes products in over 100 countries worldwide.

Editorial Contacts

Paul Leroux
QNX Software Systems
+1 613 591-0931
paull@qnx.com

QNX, Aviage, Momentics, and Neutrino are trademarks of QNX Software Systems GmbH & Co. KG, registered in certain jurisdictions, and are used under license. All other trademarks and trade names belong to their respective owners. Intel and Intel Atom are trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.