November 28, 2005

Since Friday, a different breed of vendor is creating new specifications for Linux-based phone services that will be used in the months to come.

The Linux Phone Standards Forum (LiPS) is to outline application programming interfaces (APIs) and Linux systems for phones running the open source operating system.

Programmers, handset makers and network operators will then quickly be able to create and deploy telephony applications for Linux devices, according to LiPS members.

"We want to create a standard Linux implementation" for phones, says Michel Gien, vice president of the LiPS executive committee and executive vice president of corporate s development for Jaluna, a LiPS founder.

"Motorola has created Linux phones, but they had to do it from scratch. A standardized platform makes it easier to create these products."

Founding members include Arm, France Telecom/Orange, Open Plug and PalmSource.

As open source, Linux is an attractive alternative to proprietary handset platforms from Microsoft and Symbian , supporters say.

Groups such as the Open Mobile Terminal Platform Group and Open Mobile Alliance have been defining a range of low-level functions on Linux mobile phones , such as fast boot times and power management.

But LiPS will focus on defining high-level interfaces needed to create and interact with carrier-based services, Gien says.

The group plans to create a testing and certification process and to have its first specifications for basic functions and interfaces ready in early 2006.

Products implementing the specs should appear about a year later.

Source: WNF