Mobile gets open

Linux fans may soon have mass market Linux-based mobile devices to choose from, following a technology agreement between mobile systems and software specialists Openwave and MontaVista.

The pair is combining Openwave’s Phone Suite Version 7 with MontaVista’s Linux Consumer Electronics Edition (CEE) to help build a mass market Linux-based mobile operating system.

The MontaVista Linux software already includes useful features such as dynamic power management, rapid boot and tight integration with various hardware platforms, and Motorola is already committed to developing next generation handsets equipped with CEE.

The pair’s open-source mobile initiative is designed to bring other developers into the mix to help create and promote Linux as a competitor against other mobile operating systems such as Windows, Palm and Symbian.

As Linux gains small but gradual ground in the desktop and enterprise server market, it will be increasingly important to have a commercial Linux mobile operating system to offer mobile integration to those Linux environments – just like the other mobile operating systems can be connected to and synchronised with desktop and laptop operating systems.

Openwave already supports other operating systems to deliver mobile e-mail and location-based services.

This article was part of Computer Weekly's enterprise mobile business channel, sponsored by Nokia