There was a time when only one mobile phone OS ruled the market; Nokia’s Symbian. During this time, Nokia looked to rule atop the mountain all alone. Then the Apple’s iPhone released, and relatively soon after the Android OS. Both of these mobile OS releases left Nokia in a desperate position, leading to a deal between them and Microsoft.

According to the partnership, the deal will help create a “new global mobile ecosystem”.

So what does this mean for Linux mobile development?

According to LiMo, a wireless Linux group, this decision will inspire smaller phone makers to adopt different platforms than iOS or Android.

Morgan Gillis, head of LiMo, had this to say, “With Microsoft and Nokia now in lockstep and the Android arena rapidly becoming commoditised, other handset vendors must look elsewhere to avoid the irreversible margin collapse that befell PC manufacturers.”

“The new tie-up has great upside for Microsoft although there is also a major risk that the existing Windows Phone vendors will now feel alienated.”

Linux has unveiled a recent version of its own mobile platform, which looks to release in the second half of 2011. The transition from desktop to mobile will not be easy, but LiMo is confident the same open source spirit will thrive in that space as well.

http://www.linuxpronews.com/linuxpronews-55-20110214NokiaMicrosoftDealProvidesLinuxWithAStepIntoMobileOSDoor.html