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Intel and Nokia sprung a surprise on Mobile World Congress when they called a press conference at the eleventh hour. The announcement was less surprising - following their alliance last year to work on device formats and mobile software platforms together, they are to converge their Linux-based systems, Intel Moblin and Nokia Maemo, to create a new OS and ecosystem called MeeGo.

This shows the two firms creating a powerful axis in the emerging area of mobile internet devices - the tablets, netbooks and other formats that sit between the phone and PC. Nokia's support will be vital to Intel in achieving its goal of getting the x86-based Atom architecture into the mobile world at least, even if - for now at least - the Finnish giant seems to be interested in Atom for new product types rather than volume smartphones.

For Nokia, though, the partnership extends its nascent Linux base and expertise significantly, and gives it a counterweight to Google Android and Chrome OS. For Intel, it gains a weapon against the domination of the new devices by the ARM-based chipmakers coming up from the phone community. SO far, other mobile internet platforms like Android and Chrome OS have been heavily associated with the ARM base.

MeeGo builds on the capabilities of the Moblin core OS and its support wide range of device types, and brings in important technology from Nokia's less developed open source base, notably the cross-platform Qt application and user interface framework, acquired with Trolltech in the giant's most important software deal ever. That, in turn, allows developers to target MeeGo and Symbian, extending their base.The partnership will also draw on another Nokia-Intel alliance, on integrating telephony features with the mobile web.

The tie-up also gives new weight to Nokia's Ovi Store, and therefore its entire ambitious strategy to morph itself into a web services and software provider. It says the Ovi Store will be the channel to market for apps and content for all Nokia devices, including MeeGo and Symbian products, and a combined developer community will be created around the existing Forum Nokia.

On the Intel side, Intel-based MeeGo devices from other vendors than Nokia will use its recently announced AppUp Center as their path to market for apps, with support provided by the Intel Atom Developer Program. The MeeGo software platform will be hosted by the Linux Foundation as a fully open source project and the first release is targeted for the second quarter of this year.

"This is a foundational step in our evolving relationship with Nokia. The merging of these two important assets into an open source platform is critical toward providing a terrific experience across a variety of devices and gaining cross-industry support," said Intel CEO Paul Otellini, in a statement.

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