The BIOS makes all the difference.

congatec AG, a new player in the COM market that pays particular attention to BIOS features.

When it comes to embedded computing often the difference between one vendor's product and another's is the BIOS. Most COMs (computer on modules) on the market have similar hardware components since they are derived from the same chipset reference platform. The x86 processor is the main performance booster, the northbridge with its integrated graphics controller (GMCH) is responsible for memory bandwidth and graphics performance while the southbridge (IOCH) provides the connectivity through high speed buses like USB2.0, LAN, PCI, ATA100. Legacy interfaces such as PS/2, LPT, COM and FDC are supported by the super I/O controller. The combination of these four components is in most cases fixed and is basically comparable to the hardware features of a personal computer. There's not much room for differentiation in hardware, so it's becoming more and more vital for embedded computing products to have accompanying software that is fully functional and versatile. Together with the driver packages for common operating systems, the BIOS of an embedded computer module plays a key role in the overall system performance and stability. A COM vendor who has solid software and firmware for its products has the best chance to become a market leader.