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Intel and Nokia Strike Mobile Partnership, Including Open Source

Intel is getting very serious about mobile phones and platforms, as evidenced by a far-reaching partnership with Nokia, announced today. The partnership comes on the heels of Intel's acquisition of Wind River Systems, which is a big player in the embedded Linux, and embedded mobile technology space. As part of the new partnership, Intel and Nokia announced their intent to collaborate on numerous open source software projects, and Intel will license Nokia's HSPA-capable 3G modem intellectual property for upcoming mobile products. The goal is "to define a new mobile platform beyond today's smartphones, notebooks and netbooks, enabling the development of a variety of innovative hardware, software and mobile Internet services," according to Intel's announcement.

The announcement adds:

"The effort also includes technology development and cooperation in several open source software initiatives in order to develop common technologies for use in the Moblin and Maemo platform projects, which will deliver Linux-based operating systems for these future mobile computing devices. The companies are coordinating their open source technology selection and development investments, including alignment on a range of key Open Source technologies for Mobile Computing such as: oFono*, ConnMan*, Mozilla*, X.Org*, BlueZ*, D-BUS*, Tracker*, GStreamer*, PulseAudio*. Collectively, these technologies will provide an open source standards-based means to deliver a wealth of mobile Internet and communication experiences, with rich graphics and multimedia capabilities."

Moblin is now hosted by the Linux Foundation, after being launched by Intel, and is headed for devices ranging from smartphones to netbooks, to in-car telematics systems. Maemo is a Linux operating system, mostly based on open source code and powers mobile computers such as the Nokia N810 Internet Tablet.

This sounds like good news for Linux-based platforms, and undoubtedly some of the Wind River technology will boost the effort from Intel and Nokia. As GigaOm reports, it may also mean that Nokia netbooks are imminent. Intel wants to keep its x86 architecture moving in an increasingly mobile market, and will likely put large resources behind its new effort with Nokia.

• Nokia
• Intel
• Moblin
• Netbooks
• smartphones
• Maemo

by an anonymous user on Jun. 23, 2009

Intel and Nokia collaborating appears to be quite confusing. Nokia is married to ARM, which is a direct competitor of Intel in the mobile/netbook space. On the software side, Nokia is married to Symbian, which is a direct competitor of Intel's current partners - Microsoft and more recently, Windriver/Linux. While this is happening, other ARM customers are flirting with Android on ARM. So, apart from sensing a clear and present danger to their businesses, what message are Intel and Nokia trying to bring across? Will they kill ARM for Atom, Symbian for (some kind of) Linux? Won't this hurt them both (and their current partnerships)?

Perhaps Intel and Nokia are merely admitting that the future is uncertain - given the emergence of new players. And both Intel and Nokia (and the other players) will use all options for flirting and eventual communion in opportunistic ways.

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by an anonymous user on Jun. 24, 2009

@anon - I completely agree. It is definitely a little confusing and could completely overhaul the existing ecosystem but I would take it with a pinch of salt because making announcements is very different from actually implementing them. I don't think either player is going to risk their existing business and this is probably one of many "hedges" both companies are making as they navigate a VERY uncertain future with the likes of Google & Apple clearing becoming a threat for the forseeable future...

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