Microsoft today announced that it has acquired Express Logic, a firm focused on creating real-time operating systems (RTOS) for internet of things (IoT) devices. The exact financial details of the deal weren't disclosed, but Microsoft plans to offer Express Logic's ThreadX RTOS alongside its own Azure Sphere for IoT devices.
"With this acquisition, we will unlock access to billions of new connected endpoints, grow the number of devices that can seamlessly connect to Azure and enable new intelligent capabilities," Microsoft said in a blog post announcing the acquisition. "Express Logic's ThreadX RTOS joins Microsoft's growing support for IoT devices and is complementary with Azure Sphere, our premier security offering in the microcontroller space."
Microsoft says that it recommends the deployment of Express Logic's ThreadX RTOS in situations where Azure Sphere "isn't possible on highly constrained devices." The recommendation over other RTOS solutions comes down to ThreadX's certifications and its ability to connect to Azure IoT Hub out of the box.
Express Logic's ThreadX RTOS is currently deployed on 6.2 billion devices, according to Microsoft's announcement. The RTOS can run on a wide range of devices, even down to those that are battery powered with less than 64KB of flash memory, Microsoft says.
