NTT DoCoMo ramps up the Linux mobile platform battle

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 18 December 2007 02:00

Business IT - Technology

Ovum says that "Access's non-trivial technical challenge is to show that ALP can provide a credible migration path from MOAP(L) and provide compatibility with the emerging Linux standards bodies. If it succeeds in demonstrating this flexibility while providing a consistent software platform it would be an attractive proposition for DoCoMo, as it would provide Japanese OEMs with a platform to service DoCoMo's requirements and an environment that could be accepted by other mobile operators in international markets...We believe that although this collaboration is in its early stages there is a good chance that DoCoMo will adopt ALP because it solves a number of key issues currently burdening DoCoMo and its handset suppliers using a vendor that it has had a successful relationship with."

DoCoMo is facing stiff competition, according to Ovum. "The challenge that DoCoMo faces is that there is currently no global standard for mobile Linux; instead there are a number of high profile competing initiatives all within early stages of development. The initiatives include the LiMo Foundation, Linux Phone Standards Forum (LiPS) and the Open Handset Alliance (OHA). DoCoMo is quite rightly hedging its bets and is therefore active in both LiMo, as a founder member, and in the recently announced OHA."

The LiMo Foundation was founded in mid 2006 by NTT DoCoMo, Vodafone, Samsung, Motorola, Panasonic and NEC. Linux software company, MontaVista, joined in September 2007 and the organisation announced earlier this month that it had chosen Wind River Systems ' commercial Linux technology as the foundation for its Common Integration Environment (CIE).

LiPS was formed in November 2005 by ARM, Cellon, Esmertec, France Telecom/Orange, FSM Labs, Huawei, Jaluna, MIZI Research, MontaVista Software, Open-Plug and PalmSource to "promote development and deployment of applications and services on Linux phones through standardisation. It received a significant boost in October 2007 when BT joined . OHA is the Google initiated alliance announced last month that is developing the Android platform.

Access is an active member of LiPS but not currently a member of LiMo or OHA. According to Ovum "ALP has so far not been deployed within a handset. It has been selected by Orange to be used in a handset due in the first half of 2008."