14 DAY TRIAL // Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia and leading computer vendor Intel announced today the merger of their popular Moblin and Maemo software platforms, into an open software platform that will be called MeeGo. According to the duo, the new solution should be included in a wide range of connected devices in the future, and they are expected to arrive both from Nokia and other makers during the ongoing year.
Nokia and Intel announced plans to collaborate on the development of mobile devices back in June 2009, and the new announcement is meant to strengthen their partnership. The duo invites all members of existing Maemo and Moblin global communities to participate in MeeGo, stating that the open software platform is expected to accelerate industry innovation.
“MeeGo will drive an even wider range of Internet computing and communication experiences for consumers, on new types of mobile devices,” said Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, CEO, Nokia. “Through open innovation, MeeGo will create an ecosystem that is second to none, drawing in players from different industries. It will support a range of business models across the value chain, building on the experience and expertise of Nokia, Intel and all those who will join us. Simply put, MeeGo heralds a new era of mobile computing.”
The new MeeGo platform includes the best features of Maemo and Moblin, and is expected to prove a solution capable of running on multiple architectures. It sports the capabilities of the Moblin core OS, as well as the Qt application and UI framework from Maemo, so as to drive the development of software solutions for it upwards. Not to mention that apps written for the platform will also allow deployment on other OSes, such as Symbian.
“The Ovi Store will be the channel to market for apps and content for all Nokia devices, including MeeGo and Symbian-based, with Forum Nokia providing developer support across all Nokia device platforms. The Intel AppUpSM Center will be the path to market for Intel-based MeeGo devices from other device manufacturers, with the Intel Atom Developer Program providing support for applications targeting devices in a variety of categories,” the two companies also announced.