MWC: Nokia and Intel partner to create MeeGo OS

by Stevie Smith - Feb 16 2010, 06:10

With the Mobile World Congress (MWC) already offering up the Wholesale Applications Community – a 24-strong industry collective rallying against the dominance of Apple’s App Store – handset giant Nokia and leading chipmaker Intel have become the event’s latest high-profile partnership.

In the hopes of creating a more potent single mobile operating system (OS), Espoo-based Nokia and Santa Clara-based Intel have announced the merging of their respective Maemo and Moblin OS platforms to create MeeGo, a new Linux system supported by a wide(r) range of devices and hardware architectures.

“The aim is to accelerate development under the Linux Foundation to provide a common UI [user interface] and framework,” outlined Intel System Software vice president Doug Fisher during a Trusted Reviews interview.

“We want to reduce fragmentation [an angle also being peddled by the Wholesale Application Community], expand open platforms and ensure compatibility with the broadest number of devices for app developers and businesses,” he added.

The result of an open-source project started by the two tech heavyweights some eight months ago, MeeGo is described as a blend of the best of Maemo and the best of Moblin to create “a new era of mobile computing.”

MeeGo builds on the capabilities of the Moblin core OS and its support for a wide range of device types and reference user experiences, combined with the momentum of Maemo and the broadly adopted Qt application and its established UI framework for software developers.

With Symbian likely a major distribution target for MeeGo applications, the present Ovi Store will be used to channel software apps and content for all Nokia devices, while Forum Nokia will provide developer support across Nokia platforms. MeeGo devices connected to Intel will be supported on the app front by Intel’s AppUp Center, while developer help will come from the Intel Atom Developer Program.

“Our vision for seamlessly communicating between computing devices from the home, auto, office or your pocket is taking a big step forward today with the introduction of MeeGo,” trumpeted Intel president and CEO Paul Otellini. “This is a foundation step in our evolving partnership with Nokia.”

According to Intel, the MeeGo platform will be compatible with high-performance devices such as pocket mobile computers, Netbooks, tablets, mediaphones, connected TVs and also in-car infotainment systems.

The melded mobile OS is expected to begin appearing in devices created by Nokia – and other notable industry manufacturers – later in the year.

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