Intel and Nokia are combining their respective Linux operating environments to power future smartphones, MIDs and netbooks in a technology tie-up quietly launched last year.
The technology merger will fuse Intel’s Moblin and Nokia’s Maemo software to form a new operating environment dubbed MeeGo, which is expected to power a range of devices, including pocketable mobile computers, Netbooks, tablets, connected TVs, and in-vehicle infotainment systems.
Intel’s Moblin operating system has been offered on Netbooks from Dell, Acer, and Asus and made an appearance at CES when we got the first hands on video of the LG GW990 the first phone to feature Moorsetown. As for Nokia they have their Maemo OS which is powering the N900.
The Intel-Nokia collaboration began in June to little fan fare and not even a whisper of the magnitude of the announcement. The two giants simply announced that a “long-term relationship,” focusing on developing new chip architectures, software, and a new class of Intel-based mobile computing devices. Companies make grand gestures all the time, we had no idea a one line announcement backed up by a press release would prove to be a major shift for Intel who dominates the PC market and has little to do with cell phones.
Moblin and Maemo will run on top of MeeGo, the platform is meant to bring the two operating systems together across the mobile computing divide. What we find particularly interesting is that, MeeGo will support ARM-architecture chips. ARM processors are offered by Texas Instruments, Qualcomm, Samsung, and others, while Intel’s Atom processor alone powers Moblin-based devices today.
MeeGo will help to shape the ecosystem ending some of the market fragmentation around developing software application for multiple platforms. Developers will be ablet to write and create applications for a variety of devices and platforms, and market them through Nokia’s Ovi Store and Intel’s AppUp! This deal actually works out better for Intel’s AppUp! as they will be able to draw on Nokia’s already extensive developer pool. Developers will be able to write one program in qt and port it into both store fronts.
The Ovi Store will be the channel to market apps and content for all Nokia devices, including MeeGo. Intel’s AppUp! will be the marketing vehicle for Intel-based MeeGo devices, with the Intel Atom Developer Program standing firmly behind it. From the sounds of the press conference we might be seeing a joint store front. This however might be wishful thinking in an ecosystem that is already being pumped full of individual store fronts.
The MeeGo software is expected to be released in the second quarter of this year and products are slated to emerge in the second half, according to both companies. With news like this we can’t wait for IDF Beijing in April! But in the mean time here is a video from Intel & Nokia Doug Fisher, Intel VP & Ari Jaaksi, Nokia VP talk about their perspective view points on the merger and some of the potential innovation they hope to see in the future.
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