Telecoms analysts are acclaimingNokia’s purchase of the remaining shares in the Symbian
mobile operating system, in order to redeploy
it as an open mobile platform.
The Finnish mobile technology giant intended to make Symbian
mobile OS free to develop and use. The result is to primarily boost
sales of Symbian-based devices but also aims to make it harder for
Microsoft to establish its Windows Mobile OS in the mobile
market.
Nokia has already found support for its venture from Sony
Ericsson, Motorola and Japan's NTT DoCoMo who are to merge their
respective S60, UIQ and MOAP(S) operating software with Symbian to
create one open mobile software platform.
Commenting on the move,
ABI Research described
the announcement as a refreshing sign of agility, and a changed
mobile landscape. Said ABI Research vice president Stuart Carlaw,
"There has been financial pressure on Nokia to move in this
direction at some point. The sheer economics of the number of
devices it ships with the OS versus the value it gets out of its
historic shareholding clearly indicated that such a `rescue' was
inevitable at some point."
Carlaw described as ‘real spice’, the fact that Nokia will offer
the OS in a more 'open' way. He added. “Perhaps this is an
admission that the pressure from the Linux industry is really
forcing Nokia and Symbian to change their game. Questions remain as
to whether the solution will be truly open and what the cost of a
Symbian Foundation membership will be."
ABI also raised the issue of the roadmap for the new OS. ABI
speculated that Nokia may eventually position the Symbian platform
for mid-tier devices with another platform powering high-end
devices, a strategy already used by Sony Ericsson.