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All go for MeeGo as Samsung rumoured to be interested in bada link up

Platform could underpin Korean firm's OS

All go for MeeGo as Samsung rumoured to be interested in bada link up
When Nokia publicly backed away from MeeGo following its strategic partnership with Microsoft, the platform's future looked especially bleak.

Intel's best efforts to keep up appearances have so far failed to raise the profile of the OS, and the launch of Nokia's one and only MeeGo device N9 – which is currently shipping to retail in Europe – looks to be both the beginning and the end of the platform's time on the shop shelves.

Reports emanating from Germany, however, suggest Limo Foundation members – Samsung, Panasonic and NEC included – are now sniffing around the platform with a view to tapping into its technology.

Opening up avenues

Speculation suggests the interest is in the cogs that drive MeeGo, rather than any commercial potential, but FT Deutschland claims Intel will unveil the support of one or more of said parties at Intel AppUp in Seattle, the firm's annual developer conference.

In particular, it's believed Samsung may be looking to merge MeeGo with its own OS bada in some form. Bada currently sits upon another proprietary platform – Mentor Graphics' real time OS Nucleus.

Using MeeGo as an underpinning framework instead would allow bada to tap into the operating system's strengths in touchscreen controls, while other commentators suggest the OS could still have a roll to play with tablets.

Gartner still estimates almost half a million tablets running MeeGo from manufacturers such as Acer will roll out before the end of 2011.

Either way, any announcements at AppUp are likely to revolve around accommodating MeeGo, rather than pitching it squarely at iOS or Android. Samsung is already a major backer of both Android and Windows Phone, and other OEMs offering support for MeeGo are thin to non-existent.

[source: mocoNews]

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.