Will one open source operating system for mobile be better than two? Intel and Nokia thinks so. Rather than continue on separate paths, the two companies think they have a better chance of making headway in mobile by teaming up on a new operating system.
HardwareCentral has the details including the ambitious vision the two firms have which is not limited to mobile devices.
Intel and Nokia kicked off the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain, with the announcement that their respective handheld and mobile device operating systems, Moblin and Maemo, will be merged into a single open-source operating system called MeeGo.
According to the two companies, the new platform will be built on the best features found in the Intel-backed, open-source Moblin, and the mostly open-source, Nokia-backed Maemo. The new OS will be available in the second quarter, they said, while products are expected before the end of the year.
MeeGo will use Nokia’s Qt development platform and will run on a wide range of devices, including tablets, netbooks, smartphones, car entertainment systems, pocket-sized mobile computers, media phones, and connected TVs.
The two firms said applications written for MeeGo will be available for all devices by both firms and those apps will be sold through both Nokia’s Ovi Store and Intel’s (NASDAQ: INTC) AppUp Center.
“Our vision for seamlessly communicating between computing devices from the home, auto, office or your pocket is taking a big step forward today with the introduction of MeeGo,” said Intel President and CEO Paul Otellini in a statement. “This is a foundational step in our evolving relationship with Nokia. The merging of these two important assets into an open-source platform is critical toward providing a terrific experience across a variety of devices and gaining cross-industry support.”
