I wondered what the "one cup" and "two cups" drawings mean. So I pressed "one cup" and placed a cup on the coffee maker dispenser. It got half filled! That figures. One equals half.

Automatic. Programmed. That’s how we describe these types of appliances. Not anymore.

Today, they are called intelligent.

As I sipped my coffee at the business lounge of Pan Pacific Hotel and watched the latest news on the Philippines, I wondered what data management software application is embedded in the coffee maker that makes it intelligent.

Later in the afternoon, at the Asean media conference on the launch of Oracle Embedded Business unit for Asia Pacific and Japan, I got my answer.

In all likelihood, there is an Oracle technology inside. Expect Oracle in anything that is digital particularly in these software and data-embedded markets: 3G mobile communication devices, home appliances and entertainment systems, transportation vehicles and telecommunications.

"Today, devices store information. Increasingly, these devices will have to analyze those information," says Mark Barton, vice president, Embedded Business Unit, Oracle Asia Pacific and Japan.

With the proliferation of new applications, devices, appliances, Web Services and highly available Software as a Service (SaaS), there is a significant and growing demand for embedded databases, the company notes.

In the case of Oracle, in addition to Oracle Database Lite Edition for mobile devices and Oracle TimesTen In-Memory Database for highly dynamic, standards-compliant applications, Oracle now adds Berkeley DB database products for developers of tightly embedded, highly customized applications.

Barton, reports that Berkeley DB is added to the Oracle product line through the acquisition of Sleepycat Software.

Embedded systems are specialized computer systems that are tailor-made for the devices they control. They typically comprise of a microprocessor or microcontroller, run by a real-time operating system, data management software and other applications.

The launch of Oracle’s Embedded Business Unit for Asia Pacific and Japan marks a significant move from the world’s largest enterprise software maker to penetrate the embedded systems market in this region.

The Oracle EBU plans to establish licensing agreements with Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) and Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), allowing them to integrate Oracle software directly into end-user devices such as mobile phone handsets, home appliances and automobiles.

Specifically, the Oracle EBU will focus on 3G market (mobile phones, smart and PDAs personal convenience software and business applications), In-the-Home (home entertainment, home appliances and remote management); In-the-Vehicle (in-vehicle information systems that deliver more value to customers and generate new revenue stream for Oracle); Telecommunications.

Oracle, Intel and major Linux partners last year created the industry’s first embedded system for network equipment manufacturers, which require reliable, high-performance systems that can meet Carrier Grade Framework requirements.

"Real-life applications of embedded systems are infinite, and range from the practical today to the more futuristic. What they all have in common now is their advanced intelligence. Embedded systems are becoming more datarich -- capturing, storing, analyzing, and sending information to enable innovative device functions," says Barton.

"Oracle has been the undisputed leader in data management technologies, so this is the most natural next step for us - to move beyond the enterprise systems where we’ve traditionally been, and make a serious move into data management for consumer devices," he continues.

To drive development and testing of its embedded systems, Oracle plans to launch innovation labs in Korea, China, Singapore, Japan and India. These innovation labs will enjoy close development links with Oracle R & D centers in the United States and will reside in existing Oracle development centers in those countries.