By Tony Hallett, 20 April 2004 17:10
NEWS A grouping of some of the world's largest mobile operators, including Orange, T-Mobile and Vodafone, has admitted it is in the early stages of working on "mobile terminal platforms".
Seven operators hastily put out a statement today after reports broke that they are working on developing the SavaJe mobile operating system as an alternative to Symbian and Windows for future phones.
SavaJe is a Java-centric US start-up backed by VCs and the investment arms of Orange and Vodafone but it has yet to announce any contracts with handset makers. Most recently it announced it is working with Intel and Texas Instruments, which are providers of key building blocks for mobile phones.
SavaJe today offered no comment on whether it would be at the centre of any new mobile operator initiative.
The move is bound to draw comparisons with the way in which operators in Japan - long the envy of Western carriers - operate. In Europe, handset manufacturers - notably Nokia - have traditionally exerted a lot of influence on operators' handset choices.
In a joint statement, Orange, O2, Smart, Telefonica Moviles, T-Mobile and Vodafone said: "Through the initiative, mobile operators, manufacturers and other interested parties could identify mobile terminal platform requirements for the benefit of consumers and the industry."
It finished: "The initiative will not favour any particular operating system and is not intended as a mobile operator purchasing club."
One industry source discounted SavaJe as a long-term threat to the Symbian and Windows Mobile OSes, saying it is more of a tactical manoeuvre by large operators.
Many have backed Linux as a longer term option, though it has as yet failed to make any notable mobile advances.
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1. anonymous
This is like reporting that Continental Tyres have decided to equip all Fords with their brand.
I assume it is still for Ford to choose the brand for the first tyres on a car.
I have told you numerous times that the role of the operator in the GSM/UMTS regime is to provide network services.
It is only in the US that operators have to make handsets - because you have proprietary technology and competing standards.
Outside the US, the operator can determine the colour of the SIM card, and provide better quality network to a lower price using standard components.
It is a nuisance that they are involved in the handset market at all, as this only acts as a force to drive the price for handset up and the quality down. They subsidise handsets for 12 months service contract. The operators do not want handsets to work more than 12 months - because that would allow their subscribers to take the handset to a cheaper network.
All attempts by the operator to promote a specific sollution to handsets should thus be treated with extreme care - because they do not have any interest in handset functionality nor quality.