LONDON — Nokia has started allowing developers to port its Qt platform to its Maemo 5 operating system, a move aimed at getting more consumer and enterprise applications available for its upcoming N900 mobile internet device.
The N900 runs the latest version of the Maemo OS, and apps will now also be able to be ported to the next version being developed, V6. The device is the first tablet-come-smartphone from Nokia not based on the Symbian OS.
Qt is an application and user framework, based on C++ that can be used to build apps for desktop computers, mobile phones, and other computing devices. It was originally devised by Norwegian group Trolltech, which Nokia acquired last year.
A major advantage of the framework is that it can be used for cross-platform apps. Nokia said it will be soon be compatible with Symbian, Maemo, and even competing Windows Mobile devices.
The move is seen as another step in the Finnish handset maker's strategy to push the Qt cross-platform development toolkit as a major plank of its software strategy.
"With this announcement and our upcoming port of Qt to the Symbian platform, we will quickly see Qt established as a leading framework for mobile application development," said Sebastian Nystrom, Nokia's VP of application services, in a statement. "Developers will be able to use Qt as a framework to create powerful native applications and with Qt's Webkit integration, it also provides them with a platform for creating Web applications and services."
The Qt port to Maemo 5 is based on Qt's upcoming version 4.6. It's expected to be made available in the first quarter of next year, with a release suitable for Symbian to follow.
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