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The key mobile software platforms, Android and the upcoming open source Symbian, both crossed important milestones this week, but the operators continue to assert their influence over the evolution of the mobile web. Several key players are creating their own developer environments, which will be able to span the key OSs, and one of the most important - the Joint Innovation Lab of Vodafone, Verizon, China Mobile and Softbank - has signed up new supporters this week.

Four handset makers, all eager to tap into the vast combined user base of these four cellcos (over one billion and rising), have pledged support for the JIL widget framework. The JIL carriers are also opening up some network APIs to allow applications and devices to integrate more effectively with their networks and deliver an optimized experience. The supporting vendors are Samsung, LG, RIM and Sharp. All four have demonstrated willingness to work more closely with large carriers to increase their share of the 3G market at the expense of Nokia - LG, RIM and Sharp are all over dependent on their key heartlands (CDMA, enterprise and Japan respectively) and need to extend their reach. The four manufacturers will support the JIL widget specs from the first quarter of next year, the first time major vendors have committed to the platform.

JIL is OS-neutral and has had early close ties with LiMo, but will also be eyeing progress in Symbian and Android closely. This week, Symbian - which is undergoing a massive transition to open source and the next generation of its platform - released the microkernel, and supporting development kit, under the Eclipse Public License, ahead of deadlines set by the Symbian Foundation earlier in the year.

The launch of the EKA2 kernel is nine months ahead of that roadmap, which "reflects the positive momentum behind Symbian's ambitious platform migration plan, which began with the release of security code under EPL" earlier this year, according to the Foundation. The kernel is at the heart of the platform, managing all system resources and frameworks necessary to run the system. According to EETimes, 16 out of a total 134 platform packages have now been released into open source since the code was first made available in April.

Lee Williams, executive director of the Symbian Foundation, said in a statement: "The release of the microkernel demonstrates three vital, guiding principles of the Foundation - first, the commitment of many community members to the development of the platform, in this case, Accenture, ARM, Nokia and Texas Instruments all made contributions; second, progress in fulfilling our commitment to a complete open source release of Symbian; and third, a tangible example of providing the most advanced mobile platform in the world."

Separately, Symbian Foundation advocate and 'futurist' David Wood said he is leaving the initiative. He spent 10 years at Psion, whose platform became the basis of the original Symbian OS, and stayed with the organization through its three stages of life - as a vendor collective, a Nokia-owned unit and now an open source Foundation.

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