Mobile phones or such portable electronics gadgets got
to operate with a small battery for days. So the semiconductor
devices inside should be extremely smart in consuming power.
The processor to handle media content and telecom software
should run fast but by consuming power in the range of milliwatts,
So far ARM based semiconductor chips were most preferred
by mobile phone makers like Nokia and Ericsson for their
ability to deliver performance at low power. Intel with
more focus on PC and server market was least successful
in this future market where mobile phone is not a mere phone,
it's a hand held computer. Intel is now applying rocket-force
thrust in its attempt to gain upper hand in portable electronics
market.
The immediate significant win for Intel is, number one
mobile phone maker Nokia is shaking hands with Intel to
develop new class of Intel Architecture-based mobile computing
device and chipset architectures.
The joint vision is beyond phones, it covers notebooks
and netbooks. In this group if Microsoft enters, it's a
repeat of PC success for these companies. With such collaboration,
all the PC plus phone features will funnel down easily into
a handheld electronic gadget, which is always connected
wirelessly to Internet but in a pocketable form factor.
But Intel and Nokia seem to take the path of open source
software Linux, which is also good to the end customer.
The Intel and Nokia effort includes collaboration in several
open source mobile Linux software projects. Intel will also
acquire a Nokia HSPA/3G modem IP license for use in future
products.
Both said, they expect many innovations to result from
this collaboration over time.
"This Intel and Nokia collaboration unites and focuses
many of the brightest computing and communications minds
in the world, and will ultimately deliver open and standards-based
technologies, which history shows drive rapid innovation,
adoption and consumer choice," said Anand Chandrasekher,
Intel Corporation senior vice president and general manager,
Ultra Mobility Group. "With the convergence of the
Internet and mobility as the team's only barrier, I can
only imagine the innovation that will come out of our unique
relationship with Nokia. The possibilities are endless."
"Today's announcement represents a significant commitment
to work together on the future of mobile computing, and
we plan to turn our joint research into action," said
Kai Öistämö, Executive Vice President, Devices,
Nokia. "We will explore new ideas in designs, materials
and displays that will go far beyond devices and services
on the market today. This collaboration will be compelling
not only for our companies, but also for our industries,
our partners and, of course, for consumers."
Open Source Software coordinating partners include oFono,
ConnMan, Mozilla, X.Org, BlueZ, D-BUS, Tracker, GStreamer,
PulseAudio.
