Company Overview
Company History
Bluewater Systems was founded in 1996 by Simon Glass. Simon worked with ARM technology for many years, and held several positions at ARM in Cambridge, UK and Austin, Texas. Returning to his home country of New Zealand, he quickly realised that companies in the region were largely unaware of how ARM technology was sweeping the world and transforming electronic design. Bluewater Systems started in 1996 with the goal of educating designers and managers in New Zealand and Australia about the many benefits of ARM technology.
Bluewater Systems has expanded to provide ARM services to companies around the world. Bluewater Systems provides product design services, hardware and software development and project management services, all based around ARM technology. Bluewater Systems has the latest tools for FPGA design, PCB design and layout, software development and debugger and hardware analysis and offers a highly competent and competitive service.
Company Objective
To become a leader in the development of innovative ARM based solutions. Specifically, Bluewater Systems is looking to bring the benefits of ARM to the Australasian market. Within this market Bluewater is currently the leading supplier of ARM based services etc.
Primary Business Model
The company's business model is both product and service related. Bluewater has a number of key consulting customers for whom it provides a range of specialist hardware and software development services. The work and revenue generated from this consulting work is then supplemented by products sales. This is primarily the sale of products developed in house by Bluewater, but also includes ARM tool sales.
Bluewater's primary products are its Snapper Single Board Computer modules. These can form the basis of virtually any embedded computing solution and all use ARM microprocessors. The sale of these modules also assists the company indirectly by providing a catalyst for the sale of associated development services. In addition to the sale of Snapper modules, Bluewater also markets the DDS range of solid-state data storage units. These are designed and built by Bluewater and offer a cost effective replacement for legacy tape units such as DAT.
Company Offerings
Hardware Development Services - These services are provided to a range of customers including small niche product developers through to larger corporate customers such as NEC and the Australian Dept. of Defence.
Software Development Services - These services are provided to a range of customers including small niche product developers through to larger corporate customers such as NEC and the Australian Dept. of Defence.
Snapper Modules - Bluewater's Snapper modules provide a core element in the design of an embedded solution. Typically the modules deliver all the core functionality of a product such as the processor, memory, Ethernet, USB and LCD controller etc. The modules can be used with an existing development board to provide customers with a rapid prototyping option, and then integrated into a final product design. This accelerates a products time to market and accordingly saves money.
DDS storage solutions - The DDS product provide a solid-state, plug and play solution to replace outdated magnetic tape drives and disk units. It offers Pertec and SCSI interfaces and up to 48GB of storage. Originally developed for NEC NEAX telephone exchanges the DDS is a cost effective solution to ARM tools - Bluewater is a reseller of ARM tools to the NZ and Australian market.
Target markets?
- Defence
- Telecommunications
- ARM developers
- Entrepreneurs developing innovative electronic products
What is unique about Bluewater's offerings?
Bluewater develops innovative and unique solutions based on its individual customers requirements. Its Snapper system modules all deliver a unique set of peripherals including an integrated FPGA option. Whilst there are other SBC modules in the market Bluewater has made sure that each of its modules has a specific functionality to appeal to a target market.
Bluewater's DDS product is highly unique in the market. No other product provides a solid-state storage unit that has the connectivity to legacy equipment. In addition the unit offers up to 48GB of storage and a RAID option, both of which are not available on other products.
Company History with ARM
How long has the company been working with ARM?
Since the company started in 1996 as a reseller of ARM tools.
ARM technologies your company supports: - ARM based Microprocessors
- ARM Development tools
Why have you chosen to work with ARM?
Bluewater was specifically started to work with ARM technology and to deliver the benefits of the technology into the New Zealand and Australian marketplace. The primary driver for this was the founder of the company, Simon Glass, a former employee of ARM who was returned to live in New Zealand. Upon his return he set up a small one-man company that has grown steadily over the last 10 years. His knowledge of ARM has been vital to this growth.
A primary benefit of working with ARM is the credibility that the association has given Bluewater Systems. Working alongside ARM as an official supplier of the development tools has enabled the company to gain contact with a number of key customers and contacts.
Another benefit is the support that ARM has provided in marketing a new technology to a region of the world that had had little exposure to the benefits of a 32bit embedded microprocessor when Bluewater started up.
Specialist area as an ARM partner?
ARM Development Tools reseller
Any end products that your/ARM technology is being/will be shipped in?
- NEC DSU
- TracMap
- Snapper 255 system module
- Snapper CL15 snapper module
For a printable company brochure go to:
http://www.bluewaternz.com/corporate/company.pdf | 
