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Plat'Home Unveils Final Results of "Will Linux Work?" Contest
SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct 21, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) --
Plat'Home (TOKYO:6836)(ISIN:JP3833000007), Japan's
Linux technology pioneer, today announced the results of the "Will
Linux Work?" contest. For the past month, Plat'Home's
OpenMicroServer (OMS) has been in the hands of the four contest winners
who have put Linux to the test. By combining Japanese technology with
American ingenuity, the "Will Linux Work?"
contest showcased the flexibility and incredible range of possibilities
for Linux to do amazing things in a diverse range of environments.
The "Will Linux Work?"
contest began in late July. Participants were asked to push a normal
server's limits and suggest ideas that they
would test and reveal if Linux really could work in their environment.
Last month, Plat'Home announced the OMS would
be awarded to Steve Castellotti to test the server as a GPS and
monitoring device aboard his trimaran, Martin Ewing to test the server
as a home utility automation system, Colin Duplantis to test the server
as an irrigation control system and Gordon Smith to test the server as
monitoring door controller for his chicken coop.
The Results
Castellotti wanted a brain for his boat, but he was not ready for such a
high IQ. He connected to Plat'Home's software package repository to
download essential components, and he also connected both a 1 TB
external hard drive and an iPod as additional USB Storage devices. Now
monitoring and tracking on the high seas and in port are easier than
ever.
"Even during the preliminary stages on implementing Plat'Home's
OpenMicroServer I have already noticed benefits," said Steve
Castellotti. "The OpenMicroServer's processing power and memory
capabilities far out perform devices of similar size and structure. It
did not let me down!"
Ewing wanted to build a Home Utility Support System, and stick it in his
basement in an environment somewhat questionable for a normal PC server.
Software utilized during the project included gcc, Python, vim, gnuplot,
ssh, and Apache. Ewing says that software developed for the project will
be made under the GPLv3. The OMS's
combination of compact, robust packaging and nonvolatile flash disk,
along with the power of its Linux operating environment, passed the test
with flying colors.
"The great benefit of the system is in the
development environment that supports advanced networking and language
tools," said Martin Ewing. "The
physical package of the server also made it very suitable as a home
automation device for installation in unfriendly environments such as a
home basement. Its small size, low power requirements and wide operating
temperature range were ideal to accomplish my task."
Duplantis is building a system to control his farm's
irrigation system, covering five acres, for watering lawns, providing
drinking water for horses and other animals, and keeping a pond full. He
had written his own version of irrigation control software. To fully
test it will require running it through four seasons, so it is still "in
testing," but popping open the hood,
installing an 8GB CF card, and reading the manuals was enough to get his
system up and running. Being willing to port his homemade irrigation
control software to C++ allows him to run everything on the OMS, and
interfacing with the irrigation controller via its RS232 interface has
allowed him control where, when and how much water flows.
"While the irrigation control system with the
OpenMicroServer is still a work in progress, the preliminary trials have
been quite successful," said Colin Duplantis. "I
anticipate this new irrigation system will reduce my electricity bill
and overall maintenance costs, not to mention the small size of the
server frees up a lot of needed space in the irrigation house."
Smith needed someone to guard his chickens, someone reliable enough to
stay up all night, someone smart enough to tell the difference between a
chicken and a raccoon, and someone to close the door at the right time.
His system utilizes an inexpensive webcam with IR capability to see in
the dark, along with a computer vision library to count the chickens. To
determine when dusk occurs, the server will run simple network time
protocol (SNTP) and query another server to determine when sundown
occurs each day. A stepper motor controller and power supply from a
document scanner are used to open and close the coop door. Welcome home
chickens!
"Plat'Home's
OpenMicroServer has been an ideal fit to accomplish my needs for a 'chicken
sitter'," said
Gordon Smith. "The whole system fits
unobtrusively in a corner of the coop and has the hardware and software
capability to accomplish the required tasks. My four spring chickens are
very fortunate to have such a capable attendant!"
"We are obviously very excited that our OpenMicroServer was able to
handle such a wide range of tests," said
Tomoyasu Suzuki, president of Plat'Home. "If
the OpenMicroServer is flexible enough to handle these environments and
easy enough to use then it is safe to say that the OpenMicroServer can
handle any regular office environment. Our winners clearly proved that
Linux really could work anywhere."
To see a complete explanation and all the details from the "Will
Linux Work?" contest, please visit Plat'Home's
blog: http://www.plathomeus.blogspot.com.
Or follow Plat'Home on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/plathomeweb
About Plat'Home
Plat'Home Co., Ltd. introduced the fledgling Linux operating system to
Japan when it was founded in 1993. Plat'Home began the first server line
under its own brand in 1996, and went public at the Tokyo Stock Exchange
in 2000. Plat'Home is First Partner for SoftEther, developer of the
revolutionary VPN software PacketiX VPN. In 2007, Plat'Home established
its first U.S. subsidiary, in San Jose, California, to introduce
Japanese IT products to new markets. For more information, please
contact Plat'Home USA Ltd. at sales@plathome.com.
SOURCE: Plat'Home Co., Ltd.
Page One PR for Plat'Home
Jesse Casman, 415-321-2347
jesse@pageonepr.com
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