I think the embedded space is now ready for a "dominant design" as defined by Abernathy – Utterback; the acceptance of a standardized HW/SW platform onto which the majority of all embedded systems can be built.

As Patrick points out in his original article, the trend can already be seen; most silicon vendors are flocking around the ARM CPU. This has set the stage for round 2 of consolidation; the shakeout of RTOS vendors. I'm not pretending to know which vendor will win, but Google (Android) and Microsoft (Windows Embedded) are determined to be dominant players. To their disadvantage, they both originate from the PC world, a platform frowned upon by the majority of embedded designers. In fact, the stage is wide open for an RTOS vendor with a vision to standardize. I strongly encourage Patrick and other editors to dig into this subject and help us identify the next winner.

HS
Atmel