Wireless & Mobile
Verizon, Mozilla join mobile Linux group
Verizon Wireless is throwing its support behind mobile Linux, becoming the first U.S. operator to join the LiMo Foundation, a group developing mobile Linux technology.
Related links
No results were found for your search.
Your query is too restrictive.
You might want to try: wireless
Story tools
Sponsored by:
E-Mail article
|
|
Print article
|
|
Contact author
|
|
AIM article
|
del.icio.us |
Reddit
|
Digg
|
Stumble
|
Slashdot It!
|
The LiMo Foundation, started by companies including Motorola, NTT DoCoMo, Panasonic, NEC and Samsung, is one of several initiatives working to unify mobile Linux development so that applications can run across phones with different Linux implementations. The LiMo Foundation has built a standard middleware layer that can run on different mobile Linux operating systems.
In addition to Verizon, the LiMo Foundation plans to announce on Wednesday that Mozilla, SK Telecom, Infineon Technologies, Red Bend Software, Sagem Mobiles, SFR and Kvaleberg AS are also joining the group. Verizon will hold a board seat.
Late last year, Mozilla said it was planning to get serious about developing a mobile browser. Joining LiMo could be "their ticket to get visibility," said Ken Dulaney, an analyst with Gartner.
LiMo has largely eclipsed the Linux Phone Standards (LiPS) Forum, an organization that is setting mobile Linux standards. LiMo is not creating official standards, but offering its members technology that was developed and contributed by members.
But LiMo still must contend with Android, Google's mobile Linux operating system in development.
Verizon could also throw its support behind Android. In a Business Week story late last year, Verizon Wireless' president said the operator would use Android, but the company later backpedalled and said it didn't have any solid plans to do so. AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint have all said they plan to support Android phones.
"They'll take whatever sells," said Dulaney of Verizon's likelihood of supporting Android.
Google could, theoretically, join LiMo, said Andrew Shikiar, director of global marketing for the LiMo Foundation. "LiMo is a very open organization… anyone can join," he said. In the meantime, Google is developing the same type of technology that LiMo has released. "There's some frustration with Google in the development community with what they see as a redundant effort at Google," said Shikiar.
| Use this form to start a public discussion with other Linux World users on this article. Log In | Register for an account (Why you should) |
Note: Register to have your user name appear; otherwise your comment will show up as "Anonymous."
*Anonymous comments will only appear once they are approved by the moderator.
• Dell puts Linux and Atom in Vostro PCs
• Mozilla names best Firefox 3 add-ons
• Torvalds: Fed up with the 'security circus'
• Dell Latitude ON - big win for Linux
• Open source advocates hail appeals court ruling
LinuxWorld Conference and Expo San Francisco, August 4-7, 2008.
Linux Plumbers Conference Portland, OR, Sept. 16-19, 2008.
FreedomHEC Santa Monica, November 8-9, 2008.