HP to acquire instant-on capabilities from Phoenix

HP (NYSE: HPQ) has reached an agreement to acquire some technological assets from BIOS-maker Phoenix Technologies for $12 million, including an instant-on operating system called HyperSpace. As part of Phoenix's plan to let go of what it considers to be non-core assets, other products also acquired by HP include Phoenix's HyperCore and Phoenix Flip. Ars Technica reported that the companies plan to complete the deal by the end of this month.

HyperSpace is a Linux-based OS developed that allows devices to boot up instantly, typically to perform tasks such as to play music and DVDs, or even access the Internet--without having to start Windows (NASDAQ: MSFT). When paired with Intel's virtualization extensions, HyperSpace can also run at the same time as Windows, allowing users to toggle between the two operating systems.

It is not known what HP will be doing with its acquisition, though one possibility would be that HP intends to bundle HyperSpace capabilities across its range of laptops as a value-add.

For more on this story:
- check out this article at ITProPortal
- check out this article at Ars Technica 

Related Articles:
Phoenix provides an alternative to traditional operating systems
Will the Chrome OS be a game changer?
Video: What is Google Chrome OS?
Flash, iOS, Chrome OS: The new platform war