TECH TRACKER Mobile Linux Puzzle Coming Together

Vendors and operators are midstream taken the lead on the needed standardization, though a in an active push to standardize number of efforts are under way. Mobile Linux will mobile Linux BY PETER RYSAVY have an easier time infiltrating the consumer market; the challenge will be the enterprise. WONDERING HOW LONG IT WILL BE before Linux makes its way onto mobile communications devices in your enterprise? So are a lot of other people. >(THE L O WDO WN_ >Mobile Linux is becoming a significant force in the mobile phone arena. Although it hasn’t made inroads in the United States, it runs on about a quar- THE PROMISE / Standardized mobile Linux prom- ter of globally, according to one esti- ises an open phone platform with consistent interfaces mate. And Asia is especially hot for mobile Linux across a large number of handsets, and right now. In the United States, proponents are clear- support from a rich ecosystem of application and mid- ing a path for the on enterprise dleware vendors. mobile devices. ’s mobile Linux consumer THE PLAYERS / Handset vendors supporting a multimedia phone, the Motorizr Z6, will be available standardized implementation of mobile Linux are later this year. Smartphones won’t be far behind. Motorola, NEC, Panasonic and Samsung. Operators For IT, mobile Linux promises an open and modular include NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone, which represent platform, facilitating deployment of Linux client appli- a major global presence, but little of one within the cations that interact with back-end Linux-based United States. Software vendors/integrators working enterprise apps. For application vendors, it provides a toward mobile Linux include /PalmSource, familiar application environment, unlike other mobile Aplix, Celunite, Enea, Esteemo, FSMLabs, Mon- platforms, which can take some time to learn. And the taVista Software, OpenMoko, Purple Labs, Trolltech, potential benefits for handset vendors are huge—even- VirtualLogix, Wind River and Wipro Technologies. tually mobile Linux may enable a common handset OS THE PROSPECTS / Prospects are mixed, as mobile to support not only smartphones, but also the much Linux initiatives are quite fragmented. However, lead- larger market of multimedia phones, with features such ing players are working to develop reference platforms as music and video players. that, if adopted, could make this a serious contender to But the efforts around mobile Linux are fragment- existing platforms such as BlackBerry, Palm OS, Sym- ed, and various handset-makers are implementing their bian OS and by the end of the decade. own approaches to the technology; no one group has

TIMELINE MOBILE LINUX MOVEMENT > {2005-2006} {2007} {2007} {2008-2009} {2010} Early mobile Linux Key standards/specifi- First multimedia mobile Possible widespread Some existing phones available cations, such as from Linux phones available U.S. availability of smartphone platforms in Asian markets the Linux Foundation, in the United States mobile Linux-based potentially threatened by emerge; smartphones smartphones and mobile Linux possibly introduced in multimedia phones European/U.S. markets

Copyright () 2007, CMP Media LLC. Important note: This PDF is provided solely as a reader service. It is not intended for reproduction or public distribution. For more information on obtaining a Reprint, please contact a Reprint Services Rep at 516.562.7026 or visit www.cmpreprints.com/faxback.jhtml TECH TRACKER PUTTING IT TOGETHER So what’s the holdup on mobile Linux smartphones in the United States? The biggest issue is the number of pieces in ROOM TO GROW the overall puzzle. The , currently at version While most people think of their mobile telephone hand- 2.6, is just one element of the overall handset architecture. sets as just convenient telephony devices and others use There’s no problem implementing the kernel on a mobile the handset for simple e-mail access, the platform may be device, but a working phone with a full set of features the next major battleground for computing. Today, smart- must have additional components. phones, such as Palm Treos or Research in Motion Black- The architecture includes device drivers to interface Berrys, comprise only a small percentage of the overall with the hardware; a user interface framework; telephony phone market; Gartner estimates that about 81 million and networking stacks; a wide variety of application ser- units were sold in 2006, but projects this market will vices, including synchronization, messaging, browser approach 1 billion devices, leaving a lot of room for capabilities and PIM functions; a Java Virtual Machine; growth. But that’s still a large number of smartphones, and, finally, a rich set of multimedia services. Each of and growth in 2006 was 75 percent more than in 2005. these has interfaces to the application layer. Over time, smartphones will represent an increasing Finally, there are the applications that come with the percentage of total mobile phone sales, though multi- handset, as well as third-party applications that users can media-oriented consumer phones will always be a larger install. Packaging all this in a cost-efficient and standard- market. The leading smartphones today run Palm OS, ized fashion, in the constraints of a small handheld device, OS, RIM BlackBerry, Windows Mobile and, yes, is a significant engineering challenge. One reason current mobile Linux (which, according to leading mobile Linux systems like BlackBerry, Palm OS, Symbian and Windows vendor MontaVista Software, globally runs on 25 percent Mobile are successful is that they include all these compo- of smartphones). We estimate the United States has about nents, and in a way that is consistent across multiple one-third of the global market for these devices. handsets. To be successful in the enterprise, mobile Linux Although there are different mobile Linux implemen- needs the same kind of versatility. tations, individual handset vendors will be able to stan- dardize on one implementation across their handset IN-PROGRESS INITIATIVES offerings, which can range from midtier (some multi- So far, there is no reference platform or standardized media) to high tier (advanced multimedia) and smart- for all the services mentioned. Mobile Linux phones. That mobile Linux could work for both consumer phones, therefore, are highly particular to handset ven- and business markets is part of its appeal: A vendor can dors. However, various efforts under way could provide standardize on one platform. Given the huge complexity these critical items, resulting in an open, or at least of these platforms, minimizing the number vendors must more consistent, platform. work with significantly reduces R&D expenses. For cellu- The first of these is the Mobile Linux Initiative (MLI) lar operators, mobile Linux is a potential avenue for con- within what was previously called Open Source Devel- verging the number of mobile platforms they must sup- opment Lab. OSDL merged with the Free Standards port, by reducing the total number of mobile OS Group last month and is now called the Linux Founda- platforms in their product portfolio as well as by having tion. The MLI group is working on a specification due more models based on the same OS. this quarter to address security requirements, file sys- tems and application-development tools. Given the MOBILE LINUX ARCHITECTURE enterprise emphasis of other OSDL specifications, we expect the group’s work to apply more to enterprise-ori- Handset applications ented smartphones rather than consumer-oriented mul- (provided by handset vendor and third parties) timedia phones, though ultimately all Linux phones User Telephony/ Java should be able to leverage this work. Application Multimedia interface networking Virtual services services Companies involved with the MLI include many of framework services Machine the leading mobile Linux software and hardware ven- Linux kernel dors: Access, Celunite, ETRI, Fujitsu, Intel, MontaVista, Device drivers Device drivers Motorola, NEC, Nokia, NTT, Shanghai Datang Mobile Mobile handset hardware Communications, Siemens, Trolltech and Wind River. The specs this group develops will help standardize some of the components shown in the architecture (at left). How- The mobile Linux architecture for a mobile phone consists of the Linux kernel, device drivers for controlling the hardware, a user interface ever, since the specs aren’t available yet, and because ven- framework and a variety of services. All these components support dors haven’t publicly indicated to what extent they will applications provided by either handset vendors or third parties. incorporate them, it’s too early to tell how significant this

Copyright (c) 2007, CMP Media LLC. Important note: This PDF is provided solely as a reader service. It is not intended for reproduction 26 or public distribution. For more information on obtaining a Reprint, please contact a Reprint Services Rep at 516.562.7026 or visit www.cmpreprints.com/faxback.jhtml TECH TRACKER reference platform will consist of both standardized inter- faces and some vendor-specific interfaces. In an ideal world, the vendor-specific portions will be minimized. effort will be. In addition, it’s unclear whether OSDL’s The LiMo Foundation is significant because it merger with the Free Standards Group will increase or includes two of the largest global cellular operators and decrease the emphasis on the MLI. leading handset vendors. By defining a mobile Linux The Consumer Electronics Linux Forum is address- reference platform that they produce and market in ing a broad range of consumer devices, includ- large volumes, they could effectively create a ing mobile telephones. This group primarily de facto standard for the industry. Christy comprises Japanese consumer electronics firms Wyatt, vice president of ecosystem and market and is working on a range of products, includ- development for Motorola Mobile Devices, has ing TVs, set-top boxes, in-car systems, multime- said this project is particularly strategic for dia systems and so forth. The forum includes a Motorola. She also explained that mobile Linux mobile telephony group working to standardize will be successful to the extent that there is a a telephony interface and power management. rich ecosystem of participating vendors, some- OSDL is also working on power management, thing Motorola is encouraging through devel- but it’s likely the two groups will harmonize oper support programs. their efforts, based on an overall willingness by Another player in this space is PalmSource, the various Linux groups to work as collabora- now owned by Access. PalmSource is working to tively as possible. port the Palm environment to a Linux kernel. Another group, the LiPS (Linux Phone Stan- Although Palm is a dominant platform in the dards) Forum, is driven heavily by France Tele- smartphone arena, no handset vendors have com. This forum is examining the application of said they will adopt the Linux-based version of Linux across multiple telephone devices. It also Palm OS. However, successful execution here hasn’t yet published any specifications. The could bring a large number of Palm OS develop- emphasis of LiPS is at a higher level of the over- ers into the Unix fold. Although mobile Linux is all phone architecture compared with the Mobile MOTOROLA’S a collection of efforts by a diverse set of compa- Linux Initiative, addressing service delivery and Motorizr Z6 Linux- nies and organizations, we see the handset com- applications, including voice support, multime- based handset panies like Motorola and Samsung as most dia, messaging and browsing. As such, this effort important in making it successful. is quite complementary with MLI, which is focusing on How will all these mobile Linux efforts shake out? If lower-level functions that are closer to the kernel. all goes well, within a year or two we could have multi- ple mobile Linux smartphones with consistent inter- WHAT HAPPENS NEXT faces, letting applications function across multiple ven- The impact these various initiatives will have is hard to dor devices, with features competitive with other determine: Their work is at an early stage, and much smartphones. However, independent mobile Linux depends on what handset vendors and their operator expert Bill Weinberg, who previously worked for OSDL, customers choose to implement. That’s why another says he feels a sense of urgency. He sees a huge oppor- industry effort might be particularly potent: tunity for mobile Linux to establish itself as a dominant Announced jointly by its members on June 15, 2006, platform, but only if there is some immediate consoli- this group was named the LiMo Foundation in January. dation. Any delays or significant fragmentation could Members include Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Pana- result in loss of traction and a secondary status, much sonic Mobile Communications, Samsung Electronics like what happened with Linux in the desktop space. and Vodafone. The group’s stated intent is “to establish Meanwhile, OS vendors such as aren’t stand- the world’s first global, open Linux-based software ing still, and quite a few enhancements are planned for platform for mobile devices.” The intent of LiMo is not Windows Mobile. to compete with any of the previously described Participating vendors, however, are optimistic. With mobile Linux standardization groups, but to adopt good execution in 2007 by key players, mobile Linux is available specs, then fill in any missing pieces to create well-positioned to become a common handset choice realizable working phones. within the next two to three years and a viable option for To what extent LiMo adopts the standards and specs IT looking to extend applications to mobile devices. I being developed remains to be seen, though it’s likely it won’t try to reinvent any wheels. It’s important to note PETER RYSAVY IS PRESIDENT OF RYSAVY RESEARCH that the various mobile Linux standards will not address (WWW.RYSAVY.COM), A CONSULTING FIRM SPECIALIZING IN WIRELESS NETWORKING. POST A COMMENT OR QUESTION ON every aspect of a mobile Linux phone, so any complete THIS STORY AT NWC.COM/GO/ASK.HTML.

Copyright (c) 2007, CMP Media LLC. Important note: This PDF is provided solely as a reader service. It is not intended for reproduction 28 or public distribution. For more information on obtaining a Reprint, please contact a Reprint Services Rep at 516.562.7026 or visit www.cmpreprints.com/faxback.jhtml