As Android's Horizons Broaden, LiMo's Are Likely to Shrink

JKOnTheRun reports this today: "As we wait for Motorola’s Android phone, the Cliq/Dext, the company is once again confirming its commitment to the Android platform. Motorola had already stated that it was dropping Windows Mobile to focus on Android, and it’s doing the same with LiMo. Christy Wyatt, VP at Motorola, has vacated her seat on the LiMo Foundation board of directors."

According to a Motorola statement: "At this time [Motorola] feels that the Android platform gives it a richer, more consistent foundation with strong support for the ecosystem and developer community.” With Android gaining so much momentum, and wooing handset makers and multiple wireless carriers alike, LiMo's mobile Linux strategy is looking fragile.

It's interesting to note that early this year, at the Mobile World Congress conference, many observers were dismayed that Android didn't have a big presence. That's all changed, of course. By the end of this year there will be nearly 20 Android handsets from nearly every major manufacturer, and Google and Verizon Wireless have a far-reaching deal to advance Android (GigaOm Pro, sub. required), giving the platform substantial carrier diversification.

Prior to the surge that Android has made so recently, The LiMo Foundation could at least boast that it had many powerful members on board, ranging from Verizon to Mozilla to Motorola, although it has never been able to boast of a lot of handsets. LiMo phones have not set the market on fire, and it's not a surprise to see a company like Motorola choose to focus on Android rather than LiMo. In the end, I expect many of the participants in The LiMo Foundation to announce that they too will focus more closely, or exclusively, on Android as an open source mobile operating system.