OSDL Mobile Linux Initiative Gains Another Heavy Hitter

BEAVERTON, Ore., Nov. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Open Source Development Labs (OSDL), the global consortium dedicated to accelerating the adoption of Linux(R) and open source software, today announced that Chinese handset manufacturer Datang Mobile will join OSDL as an active member of the Mobile Linux Initiative (MLI). Datang Mobile is a leading communication equipment provider in China and in markets around the globe.

"Linux is being deployed on mobile devices shipped in China at a much higher rate than in any other region," said Stuart Cohen, CEO of OSDL. "Datang Mobile will bring increased representation from one of the most active and dynamic markets in the world, and its technical and business expertise will accelerate the adoption of Mobile Linux."

The Diffusion Group predicts that by 2010, mobile Linux handset market share will grow to 26.6 percent, eclipsing SymbianOS. While both mobile device shipments and mobile Linux shares continue to increase, companies such as Datang Mobile are looking for more ways to leverage resources across companies and technology platforms. Building on common resources allows manufacturers to agree upon joint requirements, thereby freeing resources to focus on further differentiating and advancing those capabilities specific to their products.

"By joining OSDL, we get the opportunity to collaborate with our peers in a neutral environment," said Liu JiTang, Vice General Manager of Datang Mobile (Shanghai). "All the right players are involved to make Linux a key component of all mobile devices, and we're looking forward to taking part in that achievement."

In response to member demand, OSDL announced MLI in October 2005, emphasizing the need for kernel-level gap analysis and requirements gathering. Datang Mobile's membership marks the one-year anniversary of this dynamic initiative.

OSDL industry-wide initiatives bring Linux ecosystem participants together to identify challenges and to execute on collective solutions. OSDL has a track record of success with its initiatives and today sponsors four technical working groups: Desktop Linux, Carrier Grade Linux, Mobile Linux and Data Center Linux. The Labs also sponsor a range of legal initiatives including the OSDL Linux Legal Defense Fund, the Patent Commons Project, and in partnership with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the Open Source as Prior Art (OSAPA) initiative.

About Datang Mobile

Datang Mobile Communications Equipment Co., Ltd (Datang Mobile) is one of the core members of Datang Telecom Technology and Industry Group. Datang Mobile is dedicated to research on, and development of, TD-SCDMA, a homegrown international 3G standard. Guided by the principles of "joint development, virtual manufacture and entrusted operation," and based on its intellectual property rights to the TD-SCDMA standard and its line of infrastructure and terminal products, Datang Mobile is committed to providing total solutions for customers in the area of public and private communication networks.

About Open Source Development Labs (OSDL)

OSDL -- sponsor of Linus Torvalds, the creator of the Linux kernel, and other key developers -- is dedicated to accelerating the growth and adoption of Linux-based operating systems in the enterprise. Founded in 2000 and supported by a global consortium of major Linux customers and IT industry leaders, OSDL is a nonprofit organization that provides state-of-the-art computing and test facilities to developers around the world. With offices in China, Japan and the United States, OSDL sponsors legal and development projects to advance open source software as well as initiatives for Linux systems in telecommunications, in the data center and on enterprise desktops. Visit OSDL on the Web at: http://www.osdl.org/.

OSDL is a trademark of Open Source Development Labs, Inc. Linux is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. Third party marks and brands are the property of their respective holders.