Linux coming to cell phones

A half dozen companies are developing cell phones based on the Linux operating system, an executive familiar with the plans said Friday.

Among the big names backing Linux for mobile phones are chipmaker Texas Instruments and device maker NEC, representatives from the two companies confirmed Friday.

Also, two phone manufacturers will ship Linux phones that work on the General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) standard sometime this year, according to Scott Hedrick, a marketing manager at MontaVista Software, which makes the Linux chips destined for these phones. Hedrick would not identify the phone makers. Two additional Asian phone makers Hedrick did not identify are also making Linux phones, he said.

Cell phones are a new foray for the Linux operating system, which has found its initial stronghold inside servers, powerful networked computers. Companies including MontaVista Software, TimeSys, Red Hat, LynuxWorks and Motorola are all trying to adapt the software for the embedded computing market, which includes cell phones and other consumer-electronics products and devices.

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