ARM to develop Linux-based mobile platform

BANGALORE: ARM and six companies have announced a collaboration to develop Linux-based open source platform for next-generation mobile applications.

This initiative will address the rising consumer demand for access to the Internet and advanced applications on larger display mobile devices, ARM said in a release on Wednesday.

The collaboration was announced at the fourth annual ARM Developers’ Conference, being held this week in Santa Clara, California.

This collaboration focuses on the development of an open source platform based on Linux, Gnome Mobile and Mozilla Firefox that runs on ARM Partners’ advanced systems on chip (SoCs). It also strengthens ARM’s OS and browser ecosystem, while

leveraging the ability of ARM Partners to quickly bring products and technologies with graphics, video, multimedia and internet capabilities to consumers, an ARM statement added.

“Today’s consumers are very knowledgeable about technology, want to be connected to the Internet and access multimedia content and applications anywhere, at anytime, yet they do not want to be restricted by short battery life and inadequate features that will limit their experiences,” said Mike Inglis, executive vice president, Sales and Marketing, ARM. “By stepping up the collaboration among key stakeholders in the mobile market, we will be able to jointly deliver the devices and applications with the innovation consumers have come to expect.”

The new platform will be released into the open source community and will be adopted by ARM’s large ecosystem of software and silicon vendors, including Marvell, MontaVista, Movial, Mozilla, Samsung, and Texas Instruments.

ARM and its partners plan to release a full platform in early 2008 and bring devices to the market in early 2009.