LiMo Foundation: Verizon, Vodafone, others commit to deploy mobile devices this year

The LiMo Foundation continues to make strides as it announced updates to its open platform, notched six new operators to deliver handsets and added two new directors to its board.
NTT DoCoMo, Orange, SK Telecom, Telefonica, Verizon Wireless and Vodafone said they are committed to specify and deliver handsets using the LiMo Platform implementations this year. Officials from SK Telecom and Telefonica have also been added to the foundation’s board of directors.
Morgan Gillis, the foundation’s executive director, said the commitment from the six operators demonstrates that the platform is delivering a highly efficient, consistent and flexible code base to meet the requirements of major mobile wireless providers.
“This also signals substantial growth and opportunity for OEMs and developers to create devices and applications that meet the needs of major operators,” he said.
The foundation’s progress is being announced as the company plans to showcase its handsets and toolkits at Mobile World Congress, which will be held next week in Barcelona, Spain.
The foundation said technologies specified for the release of the LiMo platform have been contributed on time and officials are hopeful this will result in devices hitting the market faster.
The foundation is backing Linux as its faces competition from other open device platform initiatives that include Google Inc.’s Android and Nokia Corp.’s Symbian.
Reference implementations reduce time to market
Along with submitting specifications, LiMo members also introduced reference implementations that include features such as advanced multimedia, location-based services, device management and enhanced security. Contributors include Access Co. Ltd., Azingo, LG Electronics, Purple Labs and Samsung Electronics.
“The LiMo Reference Implementations will reduce time to market for LiMo devices while providing ample scope for deep customization at the user interface and applications layers,” Gillis said.
The organization, which is pushing an open-source, Linux OS for handsets, also announced that it endorses the OMTP BONDI specification and that it expects future handsets using a Web runtime to support the BONDI specifications.
The foundation chose the BONDI specification because it creates a common interface for applications and handset functionality. With BONDI, Web developers will be able to write applications and widgets that run on all handsets that implement LiMo Web time, the group said.
The foundation also selected Wind River as the systems integrator to deliver the common infrastructure, tools, testing and integration services for the LiMo platform.
Last year, the foundation unveiled handsets available with the platform.
Article updated Feb. 9 to include additional commentary.