Mobile Operating Systems Vie For Position

The mobile industry — like everyone else — is getting pretty sick of all the different and non-integrating mobile platforms. How many are there now? Anyway, they’re looking to standardize on just a few OS’s, and are “likely to choose relatively open platforms with large developer groups”. A lot of people think “open platforms” refers to Linux, but that’s not really the case in the mobile world…so far there isn’t a solid Linux platform for the whole handset according to the article.
Although a common platform would make things easier for them, the operators are also concerned that an common platform would make things easy for their customers. “However, operators are at least currently reluctant to enable users to freely add new applications to their phones. “As an operator, we like openness but we want a certain degree of, I wouldn’t like to say control, but ability to innovate,” said Wierzbitzki.”
In the same vein, Sun is planning a new version of mobile Java later this year. “The new version will allow developers to create applications that can take advantage of additional capabilities on handsets, such as Bluetooth or location information”. It’s also integrated with Openwave’s markup language…
As for Flash, Nokia has created the Forum Nokia Pro: Flash Zone to help Flash developers, and BenQ has licensed the technology for its handsets.
As for Symbian, there are predictions of its decline to be replaced by Linux and Windows, but the group is having none of it — vowing to win the battle for mid-range phones. It has come out punching, dropping its license fees to one-third of the present cost from July 2006, for big bulk purchases.
What else is around the traps…Microsoft is still keen to get its Windows Mobile OS on devices but is even more keen to get its other programs on handsets, things like its e-mail platform and media player.

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