Canonical announces details of Ubuntu for mobile internet devices

Canonical Ltd., the commercial sponsor of Ubuntu, announced more details on Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition at Computex 2007 in Taipei.

Following discussions at the Ubuntu Developer Summit in Seville Spain and a great response from the developer community generally, the target specifications and technical milestones for the project have been agreed.

Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition will provide a rich Internet experience for users of Intel’s 2008 Mobile Internet Device (MID) platform. To achieve this, Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded will run video, sound and offer fast and rich browsing experiences to the MID target user. Optimised for MIDs based on Intel’s low power processors and chipsets, Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded edition is expected to deliver fast boot and resume times, and reside in a small memory and disk footprint.

“We are delighted with the progress of the Ubuntu Mobile and Embedded Edition” commented Jane Silber, Director of Operations at Canonical. “we have had a great response to our first announcement with many developers showing interest in the project. With a clear roadmap, an active developer community and a date for release – we look forward to bringing Ubuntu to Mobile Internet Devices.”

The first full release of the software will be available in October 2007 corresponding with the normal release cycle of the Ubuntu operating system. Working collaboratively with Intel, Canonical is working to deliver software on actual devices from system manufacturers in 2008.

“The emerging Mobile Internet Device category represents significant growth opportunity for Intel and the industry. The demand for Linux on these devices is increasing.” said Doug Fisher, Intel Vice President and General Manager, System Software Division. “We look forward to collaborating with Canonical, supporting them to optimise Ubuntu for MIDs based on Intel low power technologies, and working with our customers to bring these devices to market.”

About Canonical

Canonical is the commercial sponsor of the Ubuntu project and the leading provider of support services for Ubuntu deployments in the enterprise.

Ubuntu is a free, open-source platform for client, server and cloud computing. Since its launch in 2004, it has become a natural choice for users of all kinds, from Fortune 500 companies to hardware makers, content providers, software developers and individual technologists.

With developers, support staff and engineering centres all over the world, Canonical is uniquely positioned to help its partners and enterprise customers make the most of Ubuntu. Canonical is a privately held company.