Sky MobileMedia Inc. has announced the integration of its SKY-MAP software platform with MontaVista's embedded Linux operating system, in an effort to provide wireless phone manufacturers with a complete applications software platform for multimedia handsets and smartphones.

MontaVista has recently set its sights squarely on the mobile phone market with the Mobilinux Open Framework initiative centered around its Linux Consumer Electronics Edition. The company intends to take on Microsoft and Symbian by integrating software components from third parties with Linux, and it plans Linux ports to mobile phone silicon from three or four companies within the near future.

Founded in 2003, Sky labels its SKY-MAP a “complete” integrated software platform for mobile communications, combining an MMI user-interface framework with development tools, middleware and suite of applications.

Linux is becoming “the operating platform of choice for handset manufacturers requiring a robust and high performing operating system,” according to Sky. Many feature-phone makers are “migrating to Linux for higher performance products,” said Sky CEO Richard Sfeir.

Adding Linux support, the company said, will allow it to address additional segments of the mobile handset market and provide handset makers with “a single consistent platform as they migrate their phone designs to new multimedia-capable hardware architectures.”

Sky will offer SKY-MAP for Linux handsets beginning in March.

For further information, visit Sky's website.

 
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