Visibility. Places that tend to build the kind of hardware that needs custom firmware are so preoccupied with the application space and hardware that the embedd

Visibility. Places that tend to build the kind of hardware that needs custom firmware are so preoccupied with the application space and hardware that the embedded software is almost an afterthought. You finally get the electronics, packaging, and other parts together and then just pass it off to the wizard to infuse it with some spells before it is ready to ship. Pulling together working hardware, packaging, and logistics is non-trivial, often involves multiple people, many moving pieces, extended chunks of time, and heroic efforts to resolve the inevitable problems. When the hardware comes together, it is only after a valiant team effort and at some cost. Everyone knows how hard it was. By comparison, firmware is invisible, usually written by fewer (or one) people, and usually carries lower risk. If your firmware has a bug two weeks before shipping, it's a recompile and we're back on track. If your hardware has a bug two weeks before shipping, it might be the end of the organization. With hardware, it's the physical 'thing' that is the product. With applications, it's the software itself that is the valuable thing.