As embedded systems become increasingly central to critical infrastructure—from aerospace and rail to defense and automotive—the demand for secure, certifiable, and cost-efficient software platforms has never been greater. Across both public and private sectors, there's a growing shift towards adopting commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) solutions that deliver robust functionality while reducing development and certification overhead.

At SYSGO, we see this shift not only as a market trend but as a strategic imperative: One that aligns with our core philosophy of building modular, certifiable, and secure-by-design software systems that support long-term sustainability and flexibility.

Why COTS matters in critical Systems

Building bespoke software for every safety- or security-critical application is no longer viable in a landscape defined by increasing complexity, tighter budgets, and stricter certification demands. The benefits of a COTS-based approach are clear:

• Accelerated Development Cycles: Commercially available platforms like SYSGO’s PikeOS and ELinOS reduce time-to-market by offering ready-to-use building blocks.
• Lower Certification Burden: With a foundation already designed for functional safety and security certifications, integrators can focus on system-specific requirements.
• Future-Proofing and Reuse: A modular design allows customers to scale and adapt their systems across projects and generations—significantly lowering lifecycle costs.

In addition to PikeOS, SYSGO offers ELinOS, a comprehensive embedded Linux platform tailored for industrial-grade applications. Built with long-term support, real-time extensions, and extensive hardware compatibility, ELinOS provides an ideal environment for non-critical or Linux-based components in mixed-criticality systems. Its seamless integration with PikeOS enables customers to adopt a hybrid approach—combining real-time performance, safety certification, and the flexibility of open-source Linux within a unified development strategy.

The European Edge: Secure and open by Design

SYSGO brings a distinctly European perspective to embedded software: One that emphasizes transparency, openness, and compliance with international standards.

Our flagship product, PikeOS, is a real-time operating system and hypervisor that supports mixed-criticality systems. By using strict partitioning, PikeOS enables the secure co-existence of multiple applications—each with different safety or security levels—on a single hardware platform.

This architecture is not only performance-efficient but also designed for common certification standards such as DO-178C (Aerospace), ISO 26262 (Automotive), IEC 61508 (Industrial), EN 50128 (Railway), Common Criteria EAL 5+ (Cybersecurity).

Our software is developed in Europe, with full control over the toolchain and supply chain—key factors in maintaining long-term product integrity and sovereignty.

Cybersecurity built-in, not bolted on

At a time when cyber threats are growing more sophisticated, security can no longer be treated as an afterthought. PikeOS addresses this head-on through security-by-design principles:

• Minimal Trusted Computing Base (TCB): Reduces attack surface by isolating system functions in clean, verifiable partitions.
• Certifiability for High-Security Standards: PikeOS has achieved Common Criteria EAL 5+, making it one of the few platforms suited for top-tier security use cases.
• Controlled Software Supply Chain: All critical components are developed and maintained in-house, under European jurisdiction.

These capabilities make SYSGO’s platform an ideal choice for integrators looking to meet both safety and security requirements in a single solution.

Cost Efficiency without compromising Quality

The drive to optimize budgets must not come at the expense of system integrity. With PikeOS, customers benefit from:

• Pre-certified components that reduce integration time and cost.
• Hardware consolidation through virtualization, reducing bill of materials and system footprint.
• Flexible licensing models that adapt to long-term development strategies.

SYSGO enables engineering teams to build once—and reuse often—across domains, platforms, and product lines.

Looking forward: A scalable Path to Innovation

Across Europe and globally, system architects are seeking ways to meet certification and cybersecurity requirements without reinventing the wheel each time. SYSGO is proud to support this transition, offering platforms and expertise that combine the best of commercial availability, safety certification, and embedded innovation.

Whether for aerospace avionics, rail signaling, automotive control units, or secure gateways, our products provide a scalable, standards-aligned foundation for next-generation systems.

Let’s build smarter, safer systems—together.