The Linux Foundation has announced a new open source project called Tizen.
Tizen will be designed to support a range of devices, including smartphones, tablets, netbooks and in-vehicle equipment. The project will be hosted by The Linux Foundation with development led by a technical steering group composed of Intel and Samsung. An initial release of Tizen and its software development kit is expected in the first quarter of 2012.
The announcement suggests a move away from the Linux-based MeeGo platform, which was formed in February 2010 with the merger of Maemo and Moblin.
Imad Sousou, Director of Intel’s Open Source Technology Center and Meego’s technical steering group co-leader, said “Over the next couple of months, we will be working very hard to make sure that users of MeeGo can easily transition to Tizen, and I will be working even harder to make sure that developers of MeeGo can also transition to Tizen.”
This news comes in the same week as the MeeGo-powered Nokia N9 designed began shipping to customers and stores.
[MeeGo blog; Linux Foundation blog]