Case Studies
Hewlett Packard: Quicklook 3
SERVICES: Embedded Software Development
TECHNOLOGIES: C, Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)
DOMAIN: Enterprise Software
HP had an inspiration for a value-add application for their business notebooks that lets users access their Outlook email, contacts, tasks, and calendar entries without waiting for Windows and Outlook to boot. The application would give notebook users instant access to their Outlook data – something that would differentiate HP notebooks from the rest of the competition.
Working together, Macadamian and HP realized they would need to think outside the box. The traditional thinking would be to build the application on Linux, but the team wanted something that would launch faster and would be even more lightweight. They decided to use yet to be released Extensible Firmware Interface Framework. EFI would not only lay the foundation a fast application, but one that could launch before Windows without having to have a separate OS.
EFI was essentially, still an emerging platform. An EFI interface for MAPI, Exchange, or data encryption didn’t exist. Documentation for the calendar and recurrence info was scarce, but Macadamian was used to working on Beta platforms. In fact, the project went so smoothly that we added extra features and delivered ahead of schedule. And the results were outstanding—every demonstration of QuickLook3 has generated tremendous interest, and QuickLook 3 won an internal HP Innovation Award.
COMPANY PROFILE:
Hewlett Packard is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. The company’s offerings span IT infrastructure, global services, business and home computing, and imaging and printing.
