Japan's DoCoMo says look to Linux

Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo is urging its handset suppliers to build Linux-based phones, a milestone for the operating system's acceptance by the wireless industry.

DoCoMo intends Linux as a cost-saving measure for its 2004 line-up, spokeswoman Karen Lurker said on Wednesday. The Linux operating system, which is distributed freely, could help DoCoMo's handset suppliers - Fujitsu, NEC, Panasonic and Toshiba - drive down the price of some of the phones they manufacture, she said.

She added that the company is not asking the handset makers to use only Linux but rather to make the operating system "one choice among many" that NTT DoCoMo subscribers have next year. "Linux is open. There are no licensing charges. It's a smart choice," Lurker said.

DoCoMo and its reputation for introducing cutting-edge mobile phones is the latest inroad for Linux, which is created by a large number of programmers who share the freely available source code that underlies the software. It was first popular as a replacement for the expensive software used to run higher-end networked machines known as servers.

Interest in Linux by handset manufacturers started in January, when handset maker Nokia responded to requests from Linux programmers to release a Linux version of software for developing Linux phone applications. In February, Motorola outlined ambitious plans to make most of its phones run on Linux. Motorola introduced its first Linux phone, the A760, in August.

Research firm IDC has estimated that by 2006, Linux may take as much as 4.2 per cent of the market for software for high-powered smart phones. Dominating the market now is Symbian, a London-based consortium whose two largest shareholders are Nokia and Psion. DoCoMo earlier announced its intention to introduce Symbian-based phones to its customers.

Ben Charny writes for CNET News.com.