As more developers find interesting ways of getting more applications and information into consumer devices of all types, the need for a database that can be embedded in consumer units becomes more pressing. To meet this need, Hitachi’s US-based Embedded Business Group is to provide its Entier Relational Database Management System with full support for two versions of Wind River’s Platform for Consumer Devices.

The versions target the two popular operating systems for consumer devices, so there is PCD-LE, the Linux Edition, and PCD-VE, the VxWorks Edition. Both offer developers a fast-boot, small footprint runtime environment targeted at applications in digital video and imaging, mobile handheld and broadband access devices.

Hitachi reckons this should give coverage of the broadest population of applications developers working in the consumer sector. The availability of Entier in intended to give them the chance to integrate advanced search capabilities into consumer devices that allow users to search on-board data in a more natural manner.

Based on Hitachi’s HiRDB technology, Entier offers two application-optimised search technologies that are claimed to make devices easier to use while reducing the code footprint by up to 20 times, the company reckons.

The LE version will be available during Q1 of this year, while the VE version is scheduled to appear during Q2.