Development Benefits
Allow us to describe how you can speed up development and save resources in your development department!
- Use standard development tools and methods for embedded development
The problem!
Developing for embedded systems often means that the developer has to adapt to bespoke tools and methods and to frameworks with reduced functionality. Learning these takes time, and engenders the growth of specialised knowledge in key personnel that cannot easily be replaced - a situation any manager or team should avoid.
The solution!
Just stop using bespoke embedded tools and methods. Use standard tools you are used too and transfer the solution to your embedded devices over-the-air, optionally supported by FourC's tiny helpers for the process.
- GUI integration without the requirment to adapt to a specialised GUI API
The problem!
When integrating different applications on the same embedded hardware, one generally has to adapt to the "master" application's GUI system. This imposes several limitations:
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One cannot use newer GUI frameworks, tools or methods than those supported by the master application
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The master application might need to be changed to support functionality in other applictions - something the master application's product owner might not appreciate or prioritise
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Different GUI frameworks might not co-exist well or might be impossible to integrate
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Legacy applications might not be easy to change
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Unforeseen GUI side-effects could cause unpredictable problems
The solution!
FourC's Device Platform lets you integrate any GUIs without side-effects, even on embedded devices. New an legacy GUI applications can co-exist and the end-user can switch between them effortlessly.
Several different applications' GUIs may be assigned to a limited number of physical screens and can be made to co-exist with no side effects. Any well-behaved GUI application can be made to run, possibly without any changes whatsoever, on a device running a FourC Groovy Device Platform.
- Avoid dangerous application side effects on the distributed device
The problem!
Adding functionality to an existing device by adding new applications to it may be challenging. Malfunction due to side effects may happen for several reasons for applications running in the same system environment. Typical examples are conflicts with dependencies on tools and library versions, concurrent access to shared resources or simply some strange error not foreseen when adding new or upgraded applications.
What makes this even more serious in a distributed M2M application is that, in the worst case, the device may stop communicating and expensive on-site support must be provided to fix the problem.
The solution!
It shouldn't be that way and there is no need to have it that way. The FourC Groovy Device Platform and the Groovy Cloud System makes it possible to add, update or delete M2M device functionality without side effects. It is an absolute day-saver when bad things happen and it makes developers' programming a lot easier and a lot faster since they do not have to adapt to the device's already running applications and system setup.
The FourC Groovy Device platform isolates every application within its own environment. It provides an advanced and secure "sandbox" for every application, which makes it almost impossible to ruin the setup of the device. So stop worrying about side effects - implement the FourC Groovy Cloud System and be on the safe side. Focus on developing new things - faster!
- Use totally disconnected development teams
The problem!
Consider the scenario: You have multiple applications being developed by different teams. To integrate them on the same device, the teams will have to agree on system architecture, toolkits, language versions, libraries and so on. All this stalls development and might cause irritation and annoyance in the organisation.
The solution!
Simply remove the problem by implementing a FourC Groovy Cloud System solution. Due to the nature of the application separation, teams can work independently and there is no need for those time-consuming meetings, discussions about frameworks and versions or the myriad of integration tests. "It simply works (™)"!
- Safe and fast beta testing on remote production devices
The problem!
You have an all-new-and-shiny application or new version of an existing application ready to be tested on a remote device. Or, you have a beta stage app that needs some testing in its real, remote, embedded environment. However, you don't have the device at hand and cannot do fixes in case your beta trial make the device fail to boot or malfunction in some way. So how do you remove this insecurity and get to be able to run the real device tests without worries?
The solution!
FourC's Groovy Device Platforms safeguards you against failing installations. Firstly, you simply cannot install something on a device that is not meant for it. Secondly, if the new application does not start, you can switch back to the previously installed one in few seconds. Lastly, an application runs in a jailed environment and cannot take down the device fully. So go ahead - do your testing on remote devices to get real data in a real runtime environment. Do this on remote production devices - safely!
- Speed up development drastically by using ready-made cloud infrastructure
The problem!
You have this marvellous distributed IoT or M2M customer application and are longing to get it out on the market and start collecting revenue. However, to do this you still need communication frameworks, deployment facilities, management systems and failure detection. There's a long list and you simply do not have the time or desire to build these tedious, boiler-plate parts of the solution
The solution!
We are here for you! FourC's Groovy Cloud Systems let you focus on the business value of your products. We have packed all the infrastructure software functionality that you need to get going quickly and all you will need in the future. Just make your customer application and register for a FourC Groovy Cloud System. Ready, get set, go!
- Use pre-installed Linux templates to produce new applications rapidly
The problem!
So, you have black belt in Ubuntu and guru status in bash scripting. Still, embedded systems are not full-fledged PCs. Do you want to waste your valuable time doing distribution adaptation for use on your embedded system? Do you want to start building your own kernel and adapt the system tools selection for embedded, IoT or M2M? Probably not, there are better ways.
The solution!
FourC provides the IoT and embedded templates for you. You can download our application templates which are pre-configured with most of the usual kernel settings and system software that is needed for embedded IoT/M2M/distributed solutions, and they run as-is on the FourC Groovy Device Platforms. The templates are fully upgradable in case you need to install anything else and they also include the optional development and deployment tools for being managed through the Groovy Cloud.
Some suggestions on what to do next:
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Read about the benefits for the operations department
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Read about the benefits for the sales department