The Concept of ‘Open’ Takes a Twist

Verizon has made two decisons –

• Linux will be its handset platform of choice.
• The joined the LiMo alliance rather than the Android consortium.

Funny, Linux wins either way, which is good I guess. But this does put up an interesting twist to the argument for ‘open device access’ in the 700mhz space. Contrived I know, but VZ could turn and say hey we are open we use Linux and the LiMo product set. Hence freezing out Google. Yes its a stretch but that would be a way the game could be played. Nasty.

Verizon Wireless has chosen Linux as its “platform of choice,” it said. Starting with feature phones in 2009, followed by iPhone competitors, Verizon will offer Linux phones compliant with specifications from the Linux Mobile Foundation (LiMo), an industry group it and seven other companies joined today.

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In a press conference held by the LiMo Foundation, Verizon Wireless’s Kyle Malady, network VP, said his company chose LiMo over Google’s Android platform, due to LiMo’s open, board-run model, and its membership of companies that have already succeeded in shipping Linux phones. However, Verizon Wireless will continue to support RIM (Blackberry), Windows Mobile, Palm, and Brew operating systems, said Malady, and in the future will consider supporting the Linux-based Google Android platform pushed by the Open Handset Association (OHA).

Biggest losers? Any firm using a closed development platform, like Nokia.

Linky.