Operators plan to stuff Microsoft, Symbian with mobile Linux

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Foundation founding

A POWERFUL BUNCH of players in the mobile phone sector announced plans to build an open Linux-based operating system for mobile devices.


The group, made up of Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics, and Vodafone, said it would form an independent foundation to promote the platfrom. In a statement today, the group said the foundation would "leverage the benefits of community-based and proprietary development".

The participating companies said the aim of the exercise was to the develop the platform "based on the contributions of all interested stakeholders through an open and transparent process".

Osamu Waki, Managing Director of Panasonic Mobile Communications said Linux sits "at the core of Panasonic Group's software strategy, and to date we have shipped nearly eight million Linux based handsets in the highly competitive Japanese market".

Jens Schulte-Bockum, Vodafone Global Director of Terminals reckoned the scheme would "reduce fragmentation of Linux based mobile phone software platforms, and in turn enable us to offer our customers more innovative new services." The Linux platform will combat both Microsoft and Symbian offerings on mobile devices.


The INQuirer