NTT Docomo, Renesas Electronics, Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic Mobile Communications and Sharp have entered into an agreement to jointly develop a new application platform for mobile phones that will be compatible with both the Symbian and Linux operating systems.
The companies said that the new platform will offer improved processing speeds for high-quality video and enhanced 3D graphics processing for advanced mobile multimedia functions.
Under the agreement, all six companies will utilise their expertise in mobile phone development based on their respective experiences in using existing platforms for either Symbian or Linux. Compatibility with open operating systems such as Android also is under consideration.
The new platform will enable mobile phone manufacturers Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic Mobile Communications and Sharp to avoid having to develop basic application-processing functions on their own, thereby allowing them to reduce development time and costs and conversely invest more time and resources in the development of manufacturer-specific handset features, the companies said.
The platform is scheduled to be offered to mobile phone manufacturers worldwide. Commercial launch of mobile phones incorporating the new platform is scheduled in the second half of the fiscal year ending in March 2012.
