corporate backgrounder Espial develops enabling technologies for consumer devices and information appliances. Since its incorporation in 1997, Espial has emerged as the leader in embedded Java technology. Headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, and supported by offices in the United States, Espial provides fast, flexible, and reliable solutions that enable clients to meet and surpass their business goals while staying within budget. Espial relies on cutting-edge technology to deliver products and services that meet the emerging needs of the fast-growing consumer device industry. In addition, Espial's partnerships with other industry leaders ensure comprehensive solutions. As a result, Espial can help your business provide users with the most up-to-date and easy-to-use embedded solutions. Given the opportunity, our products and services will become an integral part of your business' growth and development. mission statement Espial provides industry-leading platform-independent enabling technologies for Java-based information appliances. Espial delivers solutions that shorten development cycles, reduce time-to-market, and facilitate the development of device content. espial and the embedded market The key to succeeding in the embedded software market involves striking a delicate balance between human interface design and developing cost-effective, feature-rich software that can be deployed in a resource-constrained environment. Espial employs a human factors approach to designing embedded development tools, GUI components, and applications. By continually studying new and engaging interaction methods within the bounds of embedded devices, an emphasis is placed on extending the utility of the user interface, while at the same time defining new paradigms of user experience and information organization. In achieving this objective, Espial does not sacrifice clients' ability to 'brand' their devices. Vendors are given full control of the look and feel of their products, and they have the option of extending applications' functionality. Espial develops embedded software that utilizes Java technology, taking full advantage of the reliability and portability it offers across multiple platforms. Applications can be deployed seamlessly on different hardware and operating systems without having to rewrite a single line of code. In addition, all of Espial's embedded solutions boast extremely small core footprints, making them ideal for deployment on thin clients.