Intel has decided to support Tizen, another open source platform, and dropped MeeGo, its mobile open source OS baby. Partner this latest news with Intel’s ambiguous support of Android, the question begs to be asked: What is Intel’s intention? Here’s the breakdown on Intel’s lack of mobile monogamy and the details on just what Tizen means for you in the channel …

Intel has officially joined the Linux Foundation and the LiMo Foundation, both open source organizations set up to profess, populate and proliferate mobile Linux alternatives into the marketplace. Since MeeGo is dead in the water — whether Intel likes to admit it or not — it may be time for a change for Intel, especially since Nokia has abandoned the OS. Nokia’s MeeGo plans began and ended with the N9, and now Nokia has switched horses to Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.

So what is Tizen, then? It’s a new Linux-based operating system, designed to be a multiple-device platform like Android, MeeGo and iOS. But since Tizen is “standards-based” and built around HTMl5 and other web development technologies, Intel is positioning it as an evolution of MeeGo and various other mobile Linux technologies. Thus, Intel has promised to start “working with our MeeGo partners to help them transition to Tizen.”

In other words, MeeGo is dead, long live Tizen. At least, until Android comes along. Intel has been somewhat shy about its Android support, but promised it at the recent 2011 Intel Developer Forum and has Atom CPUs on its roadmap that will be built specifically to support Google’s mobile platform.

Tizen, like MeeGo before it, is designed to be deployed on a multitude of devices, from in-car dashboards to tablet computers. Intel said Tizen will be ready to debut in Q1 2012, and Intel will start “enabling the first devices in the market” for a mid-2012 release.

My prediction? At that point, we’ll have iOS 5, Android Ice Cream Sandwich, Windows Phone 7 Nokia devices, RIM’s QNX phones and, at the very least, the fate of webOS revealed. Let’s not forget Windows 8 tablets also will be arriving on the scene. That’s a huge amount of competition. Intel better do something amazing to truly wow consumers, because otherwise, it’s just another fleeting idea.

There are no artist renditions or screen shots of what Tizen will look like, or how it will work. I’m assuming it’ll be similar to MeeGo in look and feel, but it’s anyone’s guess. It’s worth noting, however, the LiMo foundation was co-founded by Motorola and Samsung. Although Motorola Mobility now is under Google control, Motorola Inc. and Samsung may be looking to get away from Google’s Android OS (in the same way HTC is with webOS) amid the potential for Google to make Motorola Mobility its own personal mobile manufacturing arm. Intel support of LiMo could be very important to making Tizen a reality if Samsung or Motorola were to deploy the OS on mobile devices.

We’ll just have to wait and see. Meanwhile, for partners working with Intel on embedded systems or digital signage, I’d suggest sticking with either Android or Windows Embedded and letting MeeGo and/or Tizen play out before becoming an early adopter/martyr.

 

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