A rough guide to mobile open source

What is the LiMo Platform?
The LiMo (Linux Mobile) Foundation is a consortium of players in the mobile industry, ranging from software developers to operators and manufacturers.

The consortium has come up with its own, Linux-based middleware platform, which LiMo has slowly and quietly started building into consumer-level handsets, such as the Motorola Motorokr EM30 (pictured above).

What are the pros?
Because LiMo's platform is essentially middleware, it aims to ensure compatibility across the industry, without taking away operators' ability to put their own, proprietary applications on top. This has led to great acceptance in the operator community, which is, in effect, the driving force behind LiMo.

Again, because LiMo is middleware, it can run on top of various operating systems, making it an attractive option for developers.

What are the cons?
As a rather slow-and-steady initiative, LiMo has not excited the public much. The greater public awareness of rivals like Android and the iPhone could steer developers in those directions.

Also, LiMo has yet to make an impact on the higher-end, more enterprise-friendly handset market. There have been rumblings that this might happen but, for now, LiMo is strictly geared towards phones in the consumer sector.

Next: Symbian.