Canonical Extends Long-Term Support and Compliance to the IoT with Ubuntu Pro for Devices
Mirroring the existing Ubuntu Pro service, Ubuntu Pro for Devices brings a decade of security updates and Landscape-based management.
Canonical has announced that it is extending its Ubuntu Pro security and compliance service to cover the Internet of Things (IoT), with the launch of Ubuntu Pro for Devices — offering ten years of security maintenance for both the operating system and commonly-used packages alike.
"Today, most application stacks contain open source software, but companies don’t always have the in-house expertise to secure and support their full stack," the company claims in support of its expanded Ubuntu Pro subscription service.
"Canonical patches over 1,000 CVEs [Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures] each year and provides a 10 year security maintenance commitment for popular toolchains like Python and Go, as well as commonly-used IoT software frameworks like ROS. Companies can consume secure and maintained open source with the same set of guarantees from the same vendor."
Ubuntu Pro for Devices, as the name implies, expands Canonical's current Ubuntu Pro offering, which is tailored for servers and workstations. It's also not going to be a Canonical exclusive: in addition to offering the subscription directly, Canonical has partnered with a range of original design manufacturers (ODMs) including ADLINK, AAEON, Advantech, and DFI to allow them to offer the subscription.
"Many of our customers from across different sectors are using computer vision software that requires regulatory approval," says AAEON's Jason Huang in support of the partnership. "In particular, the latest US regulation makes it important to provide timely CVE fixes for all of the components used in our products. Thanks to Ubuntu Pro for Devices, this is now covered."
In addition to extended ten-year security coverage, Ubuntu Pro for Devices includes device management capabilities through Canonical's Landscape platform and access to Real-Time Ubuntu — a variant that uses a kernel tuned for minimal latency with deterministic response times. The company has also confirmed that it can be combined with the Ubuntu Certified Hardware program.
More information on Ubuntu Pro is available on the Canonical website; the company will also be discussing the service at Embedded World 2024 in Nuremberg this week, Hall 4 Booth #4-354.