ACCESS and PalmSource Announce the ACCESS Linux Platform

From the ACCESS Press Release webpage:

ACCESS and PalmSource Announce the ACCESS Linux Platform
New commercial-grade Linux-based platform designed for smartphones and mobile devices
Open, Flexible and Customizable
Intuitive and Easy-to-Use
Total Integrated Solution

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3GSM World Congress, BARCELONA, Spain-February 14, 2006---
ACCESS Co., Ltd., and its wholly owned subsidiary, PalmSource, Inc., today announced the ACCESS Linux Platform (ALP), the latest evolution of Palm OS(R) for Linux. The ACCESS Linux Platform is designed to be an integrated, open and flexible Linux-based platform tailored or smartphones and mobile devices.

ACCESS' goal is to have ALP become the platform of choice for the development of high volume, feature rich smartphones and mobile devices for high performance networks, including 2.5G and 3G, worldwide. ALP is designed to provide a complete, consistent and customizable solution for handset and mobile device manufacturers and mobile operators. ACCESS and PalmSource expect to make the ALP Software Developer Kit (SDK) available to its licensees by the end of this year (2006).

"We believe that ALP combines best-in-class open source Linux components with proven mobile technologies developed by PalmSource and ACCESS' Linux expertise," said Toru Arakawa, president and CEO of ACCESS, Co., Ltd. "As a commercial-grade, flexible, open, robust and standards-based mobile Linux based platform, ALP is designed to provide handset manufacturers with faster time-to-market while supporting the goal of operators to offer revenue-generating services, applications and content."

Further information can be found here:
http://www.access.co.jp/english/press/060214.html
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Personally, I think this is a huge step forward into the future of Palm handhelds, and definitely a step up from Palm OS. For quite some time now, Palm users have been discussing the possiblity(ies) of Palm on Linux as the future OS, as well the possible death of Palm OS - doesn't Palm OS Cobalt sound familiar to you? If all goes well, Palm may be on top of the market once again, just as it was when it first caught on in the early 90's.

I think this will be a great way for Palm to start fresh again. Palm has always been badgered by people to change things; and change they did.


One small step for Tux, one large step for Palm OS.