14 DAY TRIAL // ACCESS announced it has signed a memorandum of understanding with NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Panasonic Mobile Communications, and ESTEEMO under which the companies will study the use of the ACCESS Linux Platform as the basis for developing a shared Linux platform for mobile phones.
"The conclusion of this memorandum will substantially expedite the development of a shared platform based on LiMo Foundation specifications, as well as promote consideration of an operator pack by the five participating companies", said Kiyohito Nagata, senior vice president, managing director of Product Department, Products & Services, NTT DoCoMo. "In this way, the memorandum will contribute to the dissemination and growth of the Linux platform and the creation of an associated ecosystem."
Under the agreement, ACCESS will make use of MOAP (Mobile Oriented Application Platform based on Linux) which is the FOMA mobile platform used by NTT DoCoMo, and will lead the development of a shared software platform that also conforms to specifications of the LiMo Foundation, an independent, non-profit foundation established with the aim of promoting the use of Linux by the mobile industry. The five companies have also agreed to consider development of an operator pack for NTT DoCoMo based on the shared platform. ACCESS intends to begin marketing the commercial products resulting from these efforts in 2009.
"Linux-based mobile phones are attracting attention at home and abroad", said Toru Arakawa, president and CEO, ACCESS. "The agreement by NTT DoCoMo, NEC, Panasonic Mobile and ESTEEMO to join us in discussing the development of a shared Linux-based platform and operator pack will contribute to the efficient development and prompt release of next-generation handsets by providing the type of user-friendly interface that is only possible with Linux."
The ACCESS Linux Platform is a next-generation open operating system platform that enables the creation of mobile phones and other wireless devices. The ACCESS Linux Platform software includes native applications for communications including telephony, productivity, and multimedia. Because it also features three runtime environments, the platform allows developers to create applications that are ACCESS Linux Platform native, Garnet OS native or Java native.