Ubuntu optimised for Intel processors accelerates adoption of IoT innovations

2 November 2021: Canonical published the first Ubuntu images optimised for the next generation of Intel IoT platforms, which address the unique requirements of the intelligent edge across multiple industry verticals. 

Both companies are dedicated to enabling on Ubuntu the Intel IoT platforms’ specific features such as real-time performance, manageability, security, and functional safety, as well as allowing users to take advantage of their improved CPU and graphics performance. The collaboration ensures that developers and enterprises can create reliable and secure devices, bring their products to market faster, and benefit from up to 10 years of commercial Ubuntu support. 

Reliable and secure devices

As IoT deployments scale both in number and size, maintaining large fleets of devices in the field becomes a major concern for operations teams. Stability and reliability are key pain points that are addressed by Canonical integrating the latest Intel kernel patches in the different Ubuntu flavours, along with the well-known security and reliability features offered through a containerised Ubuntu Core. Additionally, hardware-based security measures integrated into Intel silicon help mitigate firmware, code, and data attacks while dedicated cryptography accelerators speed up data encryption. 

“From gas pipelines and governments to grocery kiosks and your grandma, no one is immune.”, commented Cindy Goldberg, VP of Silicon Alliances at Canonical. “With Ubuntu Core, you get a containerized OS, built from the ground-up with security front-and-center. CVEs are tracked and fixed by Canonical, with security patches deployed automatically to the field to keep your fleet secure”

Taking support to the next level

IoT devices have a lifetime that can span for more than 10 years in the field. At the same time enterprises need to constantly innovate and deliver new projects, oftentimes being able to dedicate limited resources to arising challenges. With the Intel-optimized IoT platforms, Ubuntu and Ubuntu Core close this gap for field deployments, by offering up to 10 years of long-term support backed by the Intel and Canonical collaboration. The ability to resolve issues and add new features enables enterprises to confidently rely on an up-to-date fleet of devices. In addition, they can benefit from access to a large ISV and app ecosystem ready to go.

 “In addition to solving the unique needs of our IoT customers on a free-to-use validated Linux, our collaboration with Canonical lets customers access enterprise support on a long-term supported release when they look to deploy their solutions,” said John Healy, VP of IOTG Platform Management and Customer Engineering at Intel. “This addresses the traditional challenges of maintaining and supporting customized builds for validated Linux-based deployments.”

Faster time to market & lower costs

To accelerate time to market and reduce development costs, developers and enterprises can benefit from the Ubuntu Certified Hardware program which features a large and growing list of certified ODM boards and devices based on the Intel IoT processors. The devices are exhaustively tested to provide reliable hardware running Ubuntu and are backed with the latest patches from Intel for features such as time-sensitive networking (TSN) and Intel® Time Coordinated Computing (Intel® TCC), targeted to hard real-time applications. 

“I am proud to share that today we have multiple boards running in Canonical’s datacenters with first shipments of certified boards already underway.” shared Aaron Su, Associate Vice President Embedded Core Design in Group of EIoT  at Advantech based in Taipei, Taiwan. “For Advantech, the program has streamlined resource usage and has accelerated integration of our patchsets into Ubuntu. We pass these cost savings directly to our customers, enabling them to bring their products to market faster by focusing on developing their core application, leaving reliability of boards and components to the experts, for solutions that just work out-of-the-box!”

Get the software

Canonical and Intel will further integrate their product roadmaps to provide differentiated offerings to customers. The first set of Ubuntu Desktop and Core images optimised for Intel IoT processor families and validated on select reference platforms are available for download.  Regular updates to these images will continue to integrate the latest software features.

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

About Canonical 

Canonical is the publisher of Ubuntu, the OS for most public cloud workloads as well as the emerging categories of smart gateways, self-driving cars and advanced robots. Canonical provides enterprise security, support and services to commercial users of Ubuntu. Established in 2004, Canonical is a privately held company.