Is Nokia ambivalent about Linux, or biding its time to seize the market?

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Is Nokia ambivalent about Linux, or biding its time to seize the market?

By CAROLINE GABRIEL

Published: 1 June, 2008

READ MORE: Nokia | Linux

The cautiousness of the spin-doctors is understandable since Nokia will not want to do anything to damage Symbian's prominence in key smartphone markets like Western Europe. Also, any doubts over the readiness of Linux for the mobile big time will not be unwelcome to Nokia - by association, such questions dent confidence in the most high profile mobile open source project, Android, led by its enemy Google. And while we believe the mighty Finn will inevitably push hard into Linux in the coming year or two, it will certainly be pleased with any prolongation of Symbian's position in the forefront of smartphones.

Not only will this protect an OS that is more profitable for Nokia than Linux (on which all its key software runs, and over which it has significant control) but it will enable Nokia to go full throttle in Linux at a time when it has the products (notably a Linux version of Series 60) and partnerships in place to take the helm, rather than just joining an initiative led by others.

In fact, many of Nokia's recent moves suggest that it is positioning itself to take a major stand on Linux, something that its push into web services makes almost inevitable. It has certainly become more focused on open source, even in the Symbian world, putting aspects of its key software platform, Series 60, into the open process and acquiring software developer Trolltech

Trolltech gives it a strong vehicle to launch its own bid to dominate mobile open source standards, and the January purchase saw Nokia making its strongest commitment yet to Linux in its Series 60 smartphone market, and setting Trolltech's Qt platform against other would-be dominant mobile web systems like Google Android and Intel Mobilin.

Nokia is given to acquiring small, clever companies - especially as it builds up its software and web services capabilities - rather than going for the high profile, difficult merger, and Trolltech is no exception. The smaller company is mainly known for its Linux-based Qt (Qtopia) user interface and mobile software development framework, which has recently become closely associated with the Open- Moko Linux initiative and which is an alternative to the widely used Gnome GTK technology, a key technology for Motorola and Intel, but one in which Nokia may now become less interested. It brings Nokia a mobile Linux platform that could give it a viable position against Google Android and give it the chance to regain the initiative in mobile Linux and web interfaces, both vital technologies for companies looking to dominate the mobile internet agenda.

In the mean time, most of its commercial Linux work is happening on the internet tablets, which have proved important devices for Nokia, both because of healthy uptake and because they are, unusually for the Finn, products that appeal particularly in the difficult US market. The promise of a WiMAX/Wi-Fi version of the large screen, non-cellular product was important in clinching the position of third supplier to Sprint Nextel for WiMAX infrastructure, and the 802.16 variant of theN801 tablet was duly launched at the recent CTIA conference (somewhat more promptly, it seems, than the actual infrastructure systems from Nokia Siemens).

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