Today’s electronic devices are incredibly complex.

To fully appreciate just how complex, look beyond the advanced physical hardware and micro-circuitry to the sophisticated software layer that controls device functionality.

This “command and control” layer comprises an average of one million lines of software code and puts the “Smart” in Smart Products.

That much code represents increased complexity, as well as increased risk of code—and therefore product—failure.

Embedded Inside

Embedded software is quickly becoming one of the most significant components in electronic design.

It is enabling our customers to transform standalone devices into smart, networked, and differentiated versions for each of their market segments (and often even tailored for each end customer).

In fact, BCC Research expects the global embedded software market to reach $198.5 billion by 2019, driven by the emergence of connected devices in healthcare and new Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

This considerable growth isn’t driven solely by market demand.

According to a report published by the CTO and Chief Science Officer of software testing company Coverity, the code base in embedded devices is doubling every two years!

Complex Software Requires Sophisticated Testing

As software becomes more complex, the need for sophisticated software testing is also growing.

Faulty code can have disastrous consequences.

In Energy and Medical markets, for example, software must meet stringent standards and regulations to ensure safe and effective operation in the field. The safety and even lives of the people using these new products depend on it.

(Read more about connected medical devices here, in a recent blog post by our President and CEO).

Yet, some OEMs are struggling to keep up with the advancements in software test design and development. Others are looking for new ways to accelerate the development process to keep ahead of the competition.

Reducing Costs AND Increasing Quality

Regardless of industry, OEMs are facing rapidly changing market demands and condensed product development cycles.

Now combine these pressures with increasing software complexity and a growing scarcity of highly skilled Software Engineers.

Not surprisingly, Creation is seeing more and more OEMs looking to leverage external software development expertise. Our customers choose Creation Design Services for our engineering acumen, but also for the software design experience drawn from many programs and industries, which brings valuable insight and design efficiencies to each unique project.

By outsourcing software design, our customers are able to respond faster to market changes and minimize costs while freeing up critical bandwidth for their engineering teams.

If you’d like some input on your software design or test development, please let us know.