Open Source in Mobile

Hands-on Experience of Working with Open Source Projects and Components

Teleca has in-depth experience with many kinds of projects and is working towards further positioning within the mobile Linux field. This is the story of how Teleca developed an instant messaging application for mobile devices. Our goal was to show how to use an open source Linux software stack for embedded devices for developing applications, to name one example. In order to accomplish this, we developed and packaged a working demo of an instant messaging application for the Maemo and OpenMoko platforms.

Several vendors on the market have proven that products based on a combination of proprietary software and open source software (OSS) components can deliver a high level of innovation and solid quality – and increase the acceptance of OSS communities along the way. With a constantly growing number of vendors delivering products using OSS code, there is a challenge in balancing differentiation and compliance. Several key factors affect the end result: technical difficulties such as complex build environments, lack of documentation, community acceptance, and complex license models are some of them.

Working with the Maemo and OpenMoko platforms has positioned Teleca further in the open source arena. In-depth knowledge of open source projects and components makes it possible for Teleca to evaluate open source components as parts of solutions in customer development and integration projects. With the right open source solutions in the right context, our customer’s development budget is expected to be more efficient and the time to market is estimated to decrease.

We invite you to discuss this example, and other open source possibilities, in our stand 8A70 at the Mobile World Congress. The instant messaging application packaged for Maemo is part of the Teleca showcase.