BSQUARE Corporation

Overview

BSQUARE (NASDAQ: BSQR) is a U.S.-based public company that provides software engineering services, development tools, training, and operating system licensing to smart device developers worldwide. Smart devices are dedicated computing devices that typically display information and run an operating system (such as Windows® Embedded CE); they may also be connected to a network via a wired or wireless connection. Examples include personal navigation devices, home gateways, point-of-sale terminals, kiosks, voting machines, gaming platforms, personal digital assistants (PDAs), personal media players, and smartphones.

BSQUARE’s fact sheet states that:

“BSQUARE provides software and engineering services to developers of Windows-based embedded devices worldwide. Our teams collaborate with customers at all stages of device development, offering services such as software development (including development of applications, middleware, and board support packages), hardware development, and systems integration; and products such as reference designs and high-performance peripheral software stacks. A full service provider, BSQUARE also offers Windows Embedded training and licensing.”

BSQUARE was founded and incorporated in the state of Washington in 1994. The company went public in 1999. It currently has approximately 170 employees.

Location

BSQUARE’s headquarters are located at 110 110th Avenue NE, Suite 200, Bellevue, Washington, 98004. The company also maintains offices in California, Colorado, and Ohio in the U.S.; British Columbia; Canada; and Taiwan.

History

According to BSQUARE’s fact sheet, the company’s experience with the Windows Mobile platform—and its underlying Windows CE operating system—dates back to 1994, when Microsoft chose BSQUARE to serve as an engineering consultant for Windows CE, as well as selecting the company as its first Smartphone systems integrator. The fact sheet states:

“Working onsite at Microsoft, BSQUARE engineers formed a close, consultative relationship with Microsoft that continues to this day, enabling us to create top-quality Windows-based solutions for our customers in minimum time. Today, BSQUARE has the largest number of experienced Windows CE engineers outside of Microsoft.”

Since those early days, the company has expanded its Windows expertise to include other Windows Embedded products. The company’s products, services, training courses, and licensing now encompass Windows XP Embedded, Windows Embedded for Point of Service, and Windows Embedded Server, as well as Windows CE and Windows Mobile.

Customers

In describing its customers, BSQUARE’s 10-K report states:

“Customers of our smart device software and engineering service offerings include leading OEMs [original equipment manufacturers], ODMs [original design manufacturers], enterprises, silicon vendors, and peripheral vendors seeking to leverage the benefits of Windows Embedded operating systems to develop high-quality, full-featured smart devices that meet the requirements of numerous end-markets. Representative customers include Digipos Store Solutions, Inc., Electronics for Imaging, Inc., Lockheed Martin, Micros Systems, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, PalmOne, and Solectron.”

BSQUARE also lists Compal Electronics, Dell, HP, Hitachi, HTC, IBM, JVC, MITAC, Motorola, Palm, and Samsung among its customers.

Partners

BSQUARE actively partners with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile and Windows Embedded groups, as well as with the major silicon vendors, including Intel, TI, AMD, Freescale, and Raza Microelectronics (RMI). For example, BSQUARE is a:

• Microsoft® Gold Level Partner
• Member of the Intel® Storage Community
• Affiliate member of the Intel Communications Alliance
• Member of the Freescale Wireless Developer Network
• Texas Instruments OMAP Partner and member of the Texas Instruments OMAP Technology Center
• Texas Instruments DaVinci Partner

BSQUARE’s website also mentions partnerships with:

• Dialog Semiconductor and NXP, Wi-Fi vendors for whom BSQUARE develops custom drivers
• Intel, Datalight, and Java, for whom BSQUARE resells software (as well as reselling licensing and development tools for Microsoft)
• Corvalent (formerly American Predator Corporation), a single-board computer manufacturer for whom BSQUARE creates and delivers Microsoft Windows Embedded solutions for vertical market applications

Expanding further on BSQUARE’s relationship with Microsoft, the company’s 10-K report notes that Microsoft named it Microsoft Windows Embedded Systems Integrator of the Year for 2006. BSQUARE is also a Microsoft Windows Embedded Authorized Distributor in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, enabling the company to license Microsoft operating systems to North American companies who want to use them in embedded devices.

Products

Products offered by BSQUARE include:

• SDIO Hx, a high-performance peripheral software stack.
• DevKit reference designs for the Marvel PXA32x, PSA270, and PXA255 processors.
• SchemaBSP, a software development tool that reduces development time by providing developers with a large set of configurable Windows CE source code, including boot loaders, OAL (OEM adaptation layer) components, and device drivers.
• Media+™, a Windows CE media management and player solution for OEMs developing portable media players, smartphones, and set-top boxes.
• Custom software, including Productivity+™ and Device ValidationTestSuite™.

Services

BSQUARE’s fact sheet lists engineering, systems integration, consulting, Windows CE and XP training, and technical support among the company’s services. Areas of specialization—and proprietary technologies developed by the company—include an audio management framework, the BSQUARE policy manager, and Windows Mobile precertification testing.

Sources
* BSQUARE Corporation 10K report
* BSQUARE Corporation Fact Sheet
* Microsoft Windows Embedded Authorized Distributors Web page