Cornered!
Cornered! is a blog devoted, most of the time anyway, to telecommunications: local and global issues, technology, people and trends from the perspective of someone who's been reporting, analysing and commenting on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition). Sometimes serious, sometimes flippant, sometimes frivolous. Controversial, analytical, informative, amusing, but never boring; a vehicle for examinations of important issues and observations on my encounters and experiences in an industry where polarised views and hyperbole are the norm.
Follow the Australian Telecommunications scene NEWSLETTER- FREE TRIAL

Blog

Technology news and Jobs arrow Cornered! arrow Microsoft Windows Mobile to face strong LiMo challenge
Microsoft Windows Mobile to face strong LiMo challenge E-mail
by Stuart Corner   
Thursday, 15 May 2008
In less than a month since then, LiMo has forged ahead. Most significantly this week US mobile operator Verizon became the first US carrier to join LiMo. It will fill the final seat on LiMo's board of directors and Kyle Malady, vice president of network for Verizon was reported saying that he expects Verizon to sell both simple and 'smart' phones using LiMo next year, and that Linux Mobile "will rapidly become our preferred operating system."

There was more good news for LiMo this week. The organisation added a clutch of other new members taking its total to over 40: Infineon Technologies, Kvaleberg AS, Mozilla Corporation, Red Bend Software, Sagem Mobiles, SFR and SK Telecom.

The addition of Mozilla caught the eye of Ovum analyst Adam Leach, who said: "Ovum believes that the decision by the Mozilla Foundation to join LiMo is of significant strategic importance to both foundations." He explained that, latest recruits notwithstanding "LiMo membership is still biased towards mobile not open source players."

The Mozilla Foundation is a non-profit organisation that sponsors the Mozilla open source project that is responsible for the development of the Firefox Web browser, the second most used Web browser next to Microsoft's Internet Explorer. According to Leach: "For LiMo it is a validation of its collaborative development model and the IPR safe harbour that it creates; allowing proprietary and open source software to co-exist within a single platform. Mozilla also brings an established and much respected developer community to the platform.

"For Mozilla, joining LiMo represents an opportunity to establish a Mozilla-based mobile browser in the market by using LiMo as a distribution channel. The addressable market for full Web browsers on mobile is set to grow substantially over the next three years and this provides Mozilla with a chance to catch-up with Webkit-based browsers such as those used within Safari on the iPhone and by Nokia on S60 phones, Opera Mobile and ACCESS NetFront."

Leach contrasted LiMo's progress with that of the Google backed Open Handset Alliance and its Android platform, saying: "Other than a couple of early prototype demos at this year's Mobile World Congress, [Android] has yet to show further convincing progress.

LiMo in contrast had 18 LiMo handsets from seven vendors - including LG Electronics, Motorola, NEC, Panasonic and Samsung - on show at the Mobile World Congress, in February.

Powered By Joomla Tags

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to post your comment!



 
< Next story in category   Previous story in the category >
iTWire user statistics Visitors last 30 days
694,279
Subscribers 15,210
#1 independent technology news advertise here
  •   *  
  • Search
  • AdvSeach
  • Login
  • Events
  • FreeStuff

- Advertisement -

Featured Whitepapers

Cornered! - Telecoms blog
Cornered! is a blog on all things tele-communication from the perspective of one who has observed, analysed commented and reported on the industry since the dark ages (BC - before competition).
Follow iTWire on Twitter

About iTWire

iTWire is all about technology news, information, jobs and community for the IT and telecommunications industry professional. Subscribe to our free ICT daily newsletter