The OMTP (Open Mobile Terminal Platform) has two big announcements today. First, it it has released Version 1.0 of BONDI, it’s open mobile surfing initiative. Second, both LiMO and Opera have announced their support of the initiative.
The BONDI initiative is trying to make sure that mobile web apps can run on every mobile handset without being rewritten again and again. Version 1.0 provides a detailed set of terminal requirements and specifications for developers. It provides downloadable components and Software Development Kits, so that developers can produce apps that will run on every handset which supports BONDI.
Opera Software and LiMO have both announced their endorsement of BONDI. Any app made in line with BONDI specs will run on any LiMO handset, and on any handset browsing through Opera Mini.
From the release:
“Opera software is pleased to be joining the OMTP BONDI initiative at this important time as version 1.0 is released.” said Charles McCathieNevile, Chief Standards Officer at Opera. “The ability to extend Web applications to better integrate with devices is a very important advance in the state of the technology, and we look forward to working with the BONDI initiative to deliver this to developers as a standard they can use to enhance services available today.”
“LiMo is pleased to endorse the BONDI specification as part of our broader strategy to enable a rich and fully-functional mobile internet for consumers and developers alike,” said Morgan Gillis, executive director of LiMo Foundation.
What we think?
As a part of the OMTP, BONDI already had the support of all the member opertaors. AT&T, Hutchison 3G, Orange, Telefonica, Telenor, T-Mobile and Vodafone are all on board already. But with the addition of LiMO and Opera, BONDI has taken a real step forward. There’s now a fully fledged OS (an OS that a lot of people are excited about) running BONDI apps. Importantly, since Opera Mini will run any BONDI app, the OMTP has already taken a big step towards their final goal. Pretty much any handset can run Opera Mini, so it has already partly achieved it’s goal. Now, the more people who get on board the better it will get.
