RDK Management and Broadcom have announced a strategic development agreement that will closely integrate chipset-level software development kits (SDKs) from Broadcom with RDK’s open source software.
It’s planned to provide a common software porting layer to simplify and standardise RDK deployments across CPE suppliers. The two want to counter the current approach where each CPE manufacturer has used a slightly modified SoC-layer software even when using the same Broadcom SoC and same version of RDK software.
“Broadcom has been a pioneering and leading contributor within the RDK community for years,” said Steve Heeb, President and General Manager of RDK Management LLC. “This new collaboration further strengthens our collective ability to meet the needs of service providers around the globe. By simplifying and streamlining the underlying software, services providers and their CPE suppliers can focus more of their attention on enhancing customer experiences that drive business results.”
RDK Management and Broadcom will now synchronise the release of new RDK versions with the new Broadcom SDK porting layer versions that Broadcom makes available to its licensees.
“Broadcom is always looking for ways to enhance efficiency and better serve our customers, and this new effort with RDK Management LLC aims to do just that,” said Rich Nelson, senior vice president and general manager, Set Top Box and Cable Modem Division at Broadcom. “We believe that optimising the RDK-SoC SDK porting layer will enable CPE manufactures and service providers to deploy and iterate even faster. Broadcom has supported the RDK since its inception, having shipped millions of RDK-powered chipsets used by leading Video and Broadband services providers, and we look forward to its continued adoption across the globe.”
The initial focus will be on Broadcom set-top box (STB) SoC’s and RDK-V (video) software, but expect to include broadband gateway SoC’s and the RDK-B (broadband) software in the future.
