Just last week, there were rumors the Symbian Foundation was due to close for good. With Symbian still a very successful platform worldwide, it was only a matter of time before steps were taken to revive it.
Several reports indicate that a variety of European companies (24 to be exact) have come together to form what’s being called “SYMBEOSE,” which stands for “Symbian – the Embedded Operating System for Europe.” The group has the collective aim to take hold of Symbian and enhance the overall Symbian platform across the board — integrating mobile applications, services, etc to strengthen the platform and position it to compete on a global scale once again.
To get the ball rolling, SYMBEOSE is armed with a cash infusion totaling 22 million EUR — half of which is coming from the European Commission, with the other half funded by the 24 companies that make up the newly formed conglomerate. Though no specific plans or details have been announced, it’s safe to assume Symbian as a platform will change drastically over the next year or two. With ideas and opinions flowing from 24 member companies — the names of which have yet to be disclosed — it could turn out worse for Symbian in the end, but we’ll have to wait and see. A single, well-thought out vision is what Symbian needs to survive and thrive in a world filled with iOS and Android. Only time will tell if SYMBEOSE has what it takes.
