Dublin electronics group Ferrotec Ltd has chosen Des Moines, Iowa-based Microware Systems Corp’s OS-9 David operating system to run on its interactive digital set top boxes. Ferrotec plans to ship a million of the boxes over the next two years, although the first ones will not be ready until the end of the year, and Microware says that the deal is one of the largest of its kind in the world. The set top boxes will provide interactive video applications including video on demand and Internet access that will incorporate electronic mail and electronic commerce services. Despite the fact that the company is solely based in Ireland, Ferrotec’s operations manager David Ferrie said the boxes will be available only in the US and that the company has no plans to introduce them to the European and UK market. The company has been working with Microware’s European headquarters in Burnham, UK and will run the system on its Motorola Power PC system. The OS-9 David system was chosen by Taiwanese company Tatung Co Ltd in January (CI No 3084) for interactive digital television products, and Ferrotec is confident it has the only choice for set top boxes.
