According to a recently published report coming from telecom consultants Juniper Research, the number of mobile phones that will be shipped on the market running under an open-source platform is expected to more than double by 2014, reaching 223 million units, up from the 106 million shipped this year.

The firm also says that open-source operating systems, coupled with the applications they carry, are playing an important role in the process of differentiation between new smartphones. At the same time, it seems that the platform present on the mobile phones is a key factor that determines the customers' options when choosing a new device.

As many of you might already know, Symbian has started its move towards becoming open source, which marks an important shift in the mobile operating system market. Moreover, another important step in the area has been made by Apple with the release of its App Store, an innovative move that started a trend in the market and also attracted a lot of users.

The research firm also says that the migration towards open source in the OS area is also an encouraging factor for developers, which come to display attractive applications. At the same time, the fact that more than 60 percent of the OS market is open source can be seen as a means to open new doors for innovation.

Even so, a more important factor is represented not by the fact that the OS is or not open source, but by the possibilities it opens for developers. The easiness to develop applications for a certain OS is something that attracts developers a lot, as they can earn money without putting too much effort in it. The traction towards LiMo, OHA and Symbian’s open-source OS approach and Apple’s open route to the market has been impressive, Juniper Research says.

‘Mobile Open Source Operating Systems: Markets & Opportunities 2009-2014’ is available for download on the Juniper Research website for all those interested in it.