More than 90 per cent of all processors are already contained in embedded systems. Many applications using these embedded systems require high reliability and real time capabilities. Today's technologies can however only achieve this unsatisfactorily. This is further aggravated by high development costs due to the rising portion of software in the systems. The research requirement is huge. With its know-how in hardware and software architecture as well as in the field of dependability of embedded systems in sensitive applications such as in vehicles or advanced controls, the Information Technologies Division has positioned itself at the top of the European league. It possesses not only experience within the area of safe software engineering, but also in handling time-controlled platforms such as TTP (Time Triggered Protocol), for which the realisation of dedicated solutions can be offered. In this area, co-operation exists with Professor Hermann Kopetz from the Technical University of Vienna who developed the TT protocol. New software developments like generative programming or aspect-oriented approaches are examined constantly for their suitability for embedded applications in real time.

For application orientated research an estimate of future areas of application and the market requirements resulting from this are of great importance. In the framework of the EU project "AMSD - Accompanying Measure on System Dependability" an appropriate roadmap was created by the Software Systems business unit within the Fifth Framework Program.

Whereupon a special success was achieved on the European level with the release of the Integrated Project DECOS (Dependable Embedded Components and Systems). Since 2004 the business unit has been coordinating the Integrated Project (IP) DECOS within the Sixth Framework Program of the European Union. "The goal is to supply marketable fundamental technologies for the development of reliable embedded real time systems, which can meet the high requirements of security critical applications," explained DECOS project manager Dr. Manfred Gruber when asked to define the core of the project. An important condition for the approval of the project was the support by the FIT-IT program "Embedded Systems" of the Austrian Federal Ministry for traffic, innovation and technology. Therefore dependable embedded systems could be presented as Austria's main theme and concern.