VEPD supports VxWorks RTOS

The VIA Embedded Platform Division (VEPD) has announced that they will be releasing a Board Support Package (BSP) for the VX900, Gigabit LAN chips and the VIA Nano X2, to support Wind River's VxWorks real-time operating system (RTOS).
"The VIA EPIA-M900 Mini-ITX board will be the first VIA motherboard to offer the BSP for VxWorks. Wind River’s VxWorks is a robust, reliable RTOS with a small footprint that offers fast booting and increased security suitable for resource-constrained environments critical in medical, industrial automation, transportation and other mission-critical applications."

More information is available from VIA's official Press Release.

VIA upgrades an EPIA board; a clever way to retain customer designs

VIA has been manufacturing their own branded embedded boards for ... let me think ... it must be close to a decade now? Many embedded designs have a long shelf life, but in the end all things need a replacement or upgrade. The VIA EPIA-LN design from 2007 has been upgraded to include the VIA VX900 media system processor, this upgrading several key features of the board. Re-named the EPIA-M720, this is a smart move by VIA, allowing embedded system designers to easily upgrade their EPIA-LN machines very easily.

"Combining a VIA 1.0GHz C7 processor with the VIA VX900 unified all-in-one media system processor, the VIA EPIA-M720 delivers a highly optimized platform that boasts comprehensive HD video performance, HD audio and HDMI support in a compact, power-efficient package to meet the broader scope of needs for today's advanced digital signage, POS, Kiosk, ATM, home automation, healthcare and media client system design applications."

More from the official Press Release.

Zotac ZBOX with VIA Nano arrives in Japan

In Australia, you can't seem to get the Zotac ZBOX with the VIA Nano processor. Although it was on display at Computex earlier in the year, the models in Australia feature AMD or Intel processors. Lucky Japan is getting the dual core VIA X2 version though, according to VR-Zone.

The quiet, fanless, low power consuming VIA model of the ZBOX is a lovely compact PC that's ideal for customer information terminals, media boxes, file storage, and even as quiet low profile desktop replacements.