LiMo Says Vodafone's Android Support Shouldn't Fragment the Mobile Linux Space - Is LiMo Headed for Trouble? (
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Leach said Vodafone sees it as strategically important to have a platform for
its own applications and services that is not owned by a potential competitor,
but it does not believe that LiMo will affect business during 2009. However,
Android is in a better position to have an impact on sales next year.
Leach nails the key point: Android, by virtue of its strong developer lineup
and growing application arsenal, seems to have the pole position among Linux
phone providers. Vodafone will be able to ape T-Mobile's G1 and launch an
exclusive device for its network.
It's the kind of rap that can spread like wildfire in a mobile market where applications
are perhaps second in importance only to handsets with impeccable navigational
user experiences.
Does this spell trouble for LiMo? LiMo Executive Director Morgan Gillis told eWEEK:
It's natural that significant overlap
in membership is now developing among the three major operating system
initiatives, Android, LiMo and the Symbian Foundation. It will not be the case
that the OS landscape is divided between Google and Nokia. The natural fit that
LiMo has with major operators' strategies will ensure that LiMo has a
significant position.
The LiMo operating system is being produced collaboratively by a group of
companies, including Vodafone Motorola and NTT
Docomo. Android is produced largely by Google and Symbian is promoted by Nokia.
Gillis said LiMo, Android and Symbian intend to boost mobile Web services
for consumers. This common goal will enable the three to dominate the mobile
market over Microsoft, which is losing ground in the mobile sector,
RIM and Apple.
Ultimately, Leach acknowledged that collaboration
between Vodafone and OHA could lead to Android's run-time running on
LiMo-compliant handsets. After all, they are both built on Linux and share
other common components. Gillis allowed that this was possible, but said there
were no current plans to make that happen.
"Such a move would reduce fragmentation within the mobile Linux community
and help stimulate the developer community," Leach said.
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