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Symbian for PlayStation ?

Symbian OS Smart phone OS-maker Symbian has hinted it would be open to expanding beyond the cellular.Symbian CEO Nigel Clifford revealed that the company is open to approaches from those needing an operating system for non-cellular devices. "It's not part of the road-map but yes, we'd listen," he said. Symbian is already mulling other non-cellular radios that could eventually come to replace traditional cellular networks - namely WiMax. Clifford said: "I asked my technologists  and they said 'yeah'. It's not something they're losing sleep about." However, he maintains Symbian will be focusing the bulk of its energy on the cellular realm for now: "We've been set up initially to focus on the cellular market and that's where we see that greatest opportunity."A potential move into non-cellular would see Symbian returning to its heritage: the Symbian OS has it roots in the Psion Epoc operating system, for PDAs.Dean Bubley, founder of Disruptive Analysis, said such a cross-device strategy could appeal to organisations with fixed and mobile assets, as well as video game console manufacturers such as Sony. Going beyond the cellular would also see Symbian ape its main rivals, Linux and Microsoft, both of which sell operating systems over a number of devices, while Symbian's mobile-only stance could work against it in such areas. Bubley said: "Symbian comes with a certain amount of cellular baggage." Nokia, Symbian's main shareholder, launched its first non-cellular device, the 770, in 2005. The tablet was based on a Linux OS rather than Symbian. Smart phone operating system leader Symbian has recorded a strong performance in its latest financial results, released on Wednesday, and has predicted higher growth in future.Around 12.3 million Symbian phones were shipped in the second quarter of 2006, which is 58 per cent more than the previous quarter, and gives the company an estimated 70 per cent of the fast-growing smart phone market. But the company will have to work hard to fend off Microsoft and Linux, which some predict will eclipse it. Symbian's job now is to balance the revenues it brings in against its efforts to keep shipping more phones than the competition, through partners such as Nokia and Sony Ericsson.In the second quarter, Symbian shifted the balance towards money by imposing higher royalties. Royalty revenues grew by 74 per cent to L37.9m. This led to slower growth rates. The company has predicted its shipments will keep growing at 75 per cent per quarter, so 58 per cent growth was actually a slowdown. The company predicts growth will increase this quarter, thanks to lower royalties introduced in July to push the OS into cheaper phones. Symbian chief executive Nigel Clifford told Reuters: "You're right to assume we're in the black. Our cost-base is largely fixed, so we're fixated on growing the volumes."Although some had predicted 3G might be Symbian's downfall, Clifford believes Symbian is taking a lead. "In Q2 2006, 92 per cent of the worldwide 3G smart phone market was powered by Symbian OS," he said in a company statement.Of the 23 Symbian phones introduced in the second quarter of this year, 15 were designed for 3G W-CDMA networks. Symbian phones are spreading to consumer activities in a new "smart phone lifestyle", said Clifford, pointing to the sport-oriented Nokia 5500 Symbian phone which includes a pedometer for joggers, and the Sky by mobile service that allows more sedentary people to programme their Sky+ video recorder remotely. Handset makers Ericsson, Nokia and Sony Ericsson own 76.6 per cent of Symbian, with Panasonic, Samsung and Siemens also holding a stake in the company. Set as favorite Bookmark Email This Hits: 909 Trackback(0) TrackBack URI for this entry Comments (0) Subscribe to this comment's feed Write comment Name Email Website Comment smaller | bigger Subscribe via email (Registered users only) Write the displayed characters Add Comment ! Technorati Tags: cellular phone, cellular phone service, cellular wireless, computing mobile, mobile, mobile nokia, symbian,

 

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