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MOBILE convergence is bringing us closer to personal computing devices that replace desktop, laptop and smartphone computers. The mobile migration reached a milestone this week as Nokia and Intel agreed to work together on next-generation mobile platforms.
The agreement between the two technology giants, both of which are number one in their respective verticals, is focused on developing the next generation of mobile devices.
It provides Intel with its first big break into the multibillion-dollar cellphone market which has been dominated by the ARM processor, used in 98% of cellphones sold in 2007.
The deal also consists of Intel licensing Nokia's 3G HSPA cellular technology for use with its chips, and the duo collaborating to make their respective open-source Linux implementations for small devices more compatible.
Irrespective of what the agreement means for Nokia and Intel, it is certainly a win for the open source movement, a central part of the commitments being made by both companies.
The more intricate details of the agreements are not being discussed by the duo yet.
Glimpses of the future
While Intel dominated the personal computer and server processor markets, it knows that convergence is increasingly moving people onto smaller, consolidated devices.
Nokia is the market leader in the smartphone mobile computing arena, but it is filling up with everyone from Google to Apple to Microsoft making gains. Nokia needs differentiating in the mobile market and Intel needs a break into verticals outside of conventional computing.
The chip manufacturer has also been more aggressively addressing its diversified chip range in terms of, for example, wireless and graphics processors.
These investments in research and development play into Nokia's strategy of pushing ahead of the market in terms of more capable mobile platforms.
The agreement between Nokia and Intel hints at what future devices might look like, given the dictatorial role these companies have in their respective markets.
Super small is the way to go
Nokia recently unveiled technology allowing cellphones to charge their batteries from background radiation emitted by other devices, called ambient electromagnetic charging. The company says this new way of charging devices should start becoming commonplace in three to four years' time.
The company is also working on intuitive interfaces that do away with the need for large screens and keyboards, making use of gestures and projection technology. Until then we will use regular screens and keyboards plugged into next-generation mobile devices, as required.
Intel has proven with its Atom architecture that processing power can be scaled to remarkable size. In working with Nokia, it will further drive powerful processors with tiny form factors that will make next-generation devices capable of running demanding applications and games, while cloud computing allows excess processing to take place remotely.
The commitment to open source software means that development of applications in the future will happen both in terms of small-group developer models, and through the collaboration of large groups of geographically separated developers, as is the case with most big open source projects.
In terms of the market, Intel and Nokia have both secured their leading positions for the time being and it will be interesting to see how the competition reacts.
- Fin24.com