QNX Neutrino is designed from the ground up as a network-wide operating system.
In some ways, a native QNX Neutrino network feels more like a mainframe computer than a set of individual micros. Users are simply aware of a large set of resources available for use by any application. But unlike a mainframe, QNX Neutrino provides a highly responsive environment, since the appropriate amount of computing power can be made available at each node to meet the needs of each user.
In a mission-critical environment, for example, applications that control realtime I/O devices may require more performance than other, less critical, applications, such as a web browser. The network is responsive enough to support both types of applications at the same time—the OS lets you focus computing power on the devices in your hard realtime system where and when it's needed, without sacrificing concurrent connectivity to the desktop. Moreover, critical aspects of realtime computing, such as priority inheritance, function seamlessly across a QNX Neutrino network, regardless of the physical media employed (switch fabric, serial, etc.).