Smart design begins with a new, holistic design system that informs every aspect of the phone, from its visually appealing layout and motion to its function and hardware integration.
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The company provides engineering services to offload the complexity of maintaining multiple code bases which has proven to be a common issue for smartphone manufacturers, freeing the manufacturer to focus on hardware design and integration.
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While what they sell is indeed wonderfully engineered and made, better integration of hardware and software than anyone else manages, there is still something else to Apple.
With the establishment of Consumer Products and Services Group in April 2011, Sony will focus on accelerating the development of innovative next generation products and aim to deliver a new lifestyle by strengthening the integration of hardware and network services.
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"The integration of the hardware, software and services necessary for system-wide security has been slow, " said Warren East, CEO, ARM.
Thirdly, converged infrastructures for cloud could get a boost through tighter integration between the hardware and OS, thanks to performance optimizations, better resource automation, and fault management throughout the stack.
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That third party is telling everyone of the level playing field and the economy of scale benefits it will have, but another manufacturer is moving ever closer to full integration of the hardware and software, threatening Samsung.
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As valuable as is the tinkering with thermodynamics and mechanics, the revolution that the hardware suppliers are complicit in enabling comes from the addition and full integration of microprocessors--making dumb hardware smart, and most importantly, adding the native ability to connect to communications networks via BlueTooth and Zigbee, LONworks, Ethernet and the Internet.
Success hinges on the tight integration of software and hardware.
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Apple recognized the integration of software and hardware early on.
Besides providing the hardware, Cisco is also in the systems integration business and provides network support.
The MotionEngine software can be licensed for integration into a customer's hardware, or it can be purchased as part of a module or remote control offered by Hillcrest.
Back to hardware: connected devices include a rear-view safety camera and Bluetooth integration with your mobile phone for hands-free calling.
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Pure hardware attributes only get you so far, and judging by the amount of integration time that went into this project, Microsoft would be doing itself a huge disservice to launch anything even close to not smooth-as-butter.
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Both operating systems lie somewhere between the cathedral of iOS and the bazaar of Android in terms of their tradeoffs between integration and flexibility, with Windows Phone offering a broader range of hardware since it is licensed and has been in the market longer.
Money, even more than the scope for tighter integration, also explains why Oracle is unlikely to ditch Sun's hardware business soon, if at all.
Earlier this month the mobile device maker INQ brought out its first smartphone featuring not only a comprehensive integration with Facebook, but Spotify as a default music player, accessible with its own hardware button as well as a homescreen icon.
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